Lakewood coach Necole Tunsil helps teen win at life

Necole Tunsil became a local legend on the Lakewood High School basketball court; her ultimate assist gave a troubled teen a shot at a better life.

Tunsil, now the school’s girls basketball coach, held a then-state championship record for her 44-point performance in 1989. She also made history as a 1st Team Parade All-American and Miss Florida Basketball in 1988 and 1989, and had a prolific college and professional career.

However, Tunsil called 2011 a “life-changing” year as she bought a home, became a foster parent and subsequently led the Spartans to a state championship. “So, I was like, maybe that was God’s sign. Maybe that was my blessing,” she said.

Tunsil watched proudly as Lexander “Lex” Coleman, 18, graduated from Lakewood with a 4.2 GPA Wednesday night. He will attend college in Iowa on a full wrestling scholarship. Like many foster teens, he’d struggled with grades and craved structure – until he moved in with Coach Tunsil. 

“I was ready to make a change because I knew if I kept going down that same path, it would have affected me in the long run, later in life,” he said. “It was a place where I could really develop and grow as a person and someone who would push me to be better, not worse.”

Tunsil starred at the University of Iowa and played a key role in the storied program’s first Final Four appearance. She played professionally in France, Greece and the former American Basketball League.

Tunsil returned to South St. Petersburg in 2004 and has since enhanced her local legacy. Lakewood’s girls basketball team has won 13 district championships, seven regional championships and a state title during her tenure.

The school inducted Tunsil into its Hall of Fame in 2007. She is a nine-time county coach of the year, a five-time state coach of the year and finished second in voting twice.

“I never had any kids, never wanted any kids,” Tunsil once thought. “I’m too selfish to have kids.”

She volunteered at a group home but realized her impact evaporated at the end of every shift. Friends encouraged her to become a foster parent; she eventually took their advice.

Tunsil has since fostered over 20 kids, mostly teens who have little hope of exiting the system. While she treats them all as her children, just one shares her last name.

Lex became Lexander Coleman-Tunsil in December 2022. Adoption was his idea.

Lex approached Tunsil’s father with the proposition. Tunsil, after her father’s urging and some reflection, committed.

Necole Tunsil (left) and Lexander Coleman-Tunsil at their adoption hearing in December 2022. Photo provided.

She remembers the first day Lex called her “Mom,” a heart-warming moment that “changed the game.” Tunsil said her coaching – “assisting with parenting” – experience helped prepare her to be a mom.

She believes in strictly enforcing the rules to ensure kids stay on the right path. Tunsil explained how foster children become institutionalized – they often hoard food, lie and steal after years of uncertainty surrounding their next meal or home.

“One of the things I try to do is make them understand that I’m in it for the long haul,” she added.

Lex will attend Hawkeye Community College, known for its wrestling program. Tunsil called it a full-circle moment, as she played for the Iowa Hawkeyes, and former teammates in the area have offered to lend a helping hand.

Lex won 101 matches at Lakewood. He also became the first Spartan to reach the state wrestling finals in March, where he finished as runner-up in the 215 lb. division.

“I’m really proud of him because of where he came from,” Tunsil said. “You had all the odds against you, and now look at you. You made your own way. You’re not going to Iowa because of me – you’re going to Iowa because of you.”

Lex also earned academic scholarships and plans to attend law school. “But I want to be a family lawyer,” he said. “I want to deal with kids.”

The interview in Lakewood’s gymnasium occurred before graduation. Tunsil, typically stoic, said watching Lex walk across the stage would be her “breaking moment.”

She said his graduation is a bookend for his journey from at-risk youth to high school standout. Lex never pictured himself in this position before he met Tunsil, who taught him to put others first and that “respect is the key to everything.”

“When my grandmother and grandpa passed, there was a lot going through my mind,” Lex said. “I was going through a little depression because they were really the only family I knew.

“I know if my grandma and grandpa were here, they would cheer me on because they’ve seen what I endured and what I’ve gone through my whole life.”

Lexander Coleman-Tunsil (center) with his new, extended family. Photo provided.