Tangela Faulkner was named Head Women’s Volleyball Coach at Clinton College in August 2023 and enters her fourth season leading the Golden Bears program. In addition to her coaching responsibilities, Faulkner serves as Associate Athletic Director, contributing to the continued growth and development of Clinton College Athletics.

Since taking over the program, Faulkner has elevated Golden Bears Volleyball to new levels of success. In her first season, she guided Clinton to the NCCAA National Tournament and established a then-program record with 12 victories. The following season, the Golden Bears continued their progression, recording a new program benchmark with 17 wins. In 2025, Faulkner led Clinton to its first NCCAA South Regional Championship in program history, a program-record 19-win season, a second consecutive appearance at the NCCAA National Tournament, and the highest level of success in Clinton College Volleyball history. The Golden Bears also earned a national ranking as high as No. 3 in the NCCAA during the season.

A coach dedicated to the complete development of student-athletes, Faulkner brings more than 15 years of coaching experience focused on building competitive programs, developing leaders, and creating opportunities for athletes to succeed academically, athletically, and personally. Throughout her coaching career, she has helped more than 50 student-athletes continue their athletic careers at the collegiate level while fostering a culture centered on excellence, accountability, and growth.

Under Faulkner’s leadership, the Golden Bears volleyball program has continued to emphasize success beyond competition. For two consecutive seasons, the program has been recognized as a National Scholar Team, including the 2025 season in which the team achieved a 3.64 grade-point average. Faulkner’s commitment to academic excellence reflects her belief that the role of a coach extends beyond wins and losses, focusing on preparing student-athletes for success in the classroom, within the community, and beyond their collegiate careers.

Prior to joining Clinton College, Faulkner served as the head volleyball coach at West Johnston High School in Benson, North Carolina, where she was named Quad County 3A Coach of the Year.

"We are extremely excited to have Coach Tangela Faulkner join the Clinton College family," said Dr. Angelyne Brown, Vice President of Student Success and Dean of Students. "Coach Faulkner brings a wealth of knowledge, passion, and energy to our volleyball program. We know our students and campus community will benefit greatly from her commitment to excellence and dedication to preparing student-athletes to succeed both on and off the court."

A graduate of the University of Mount Olive, Faulkner was inducted into the institution’s Athletics Hall of Fame following a distinguished career as a two-sport student-athlete. In basketball, she earned All-Conference honors twice, ranked fifth nationally in scoring with 22.4 points per game, averaged more than nine rebounds per contest, and recorded 605 points in a single season—the second-highest total in program history. She also became the first Trojan women’s basketball player to score 1,000 points in just two seasons.

On the volleyball court, Faulkner was a key contributor, leading her team in kills and blocks during her junior season, finishing second in the conference in hitting percentage and fifth in kills as a senior, and helping lead Mount Olive to its only conference volleyball championship.

"This is my ministry, and I want to equip young athletes with the same tools that someone equipped me with," Faulkner said. "If God had not blessed me with a full scholarship, I may never have had the opportunity to attend college. My goal is to help every student-athlete I impact have the same opportunity to pursue their dreams through education and athletics."