A small town girl from humble beginnings.

Trenia Tillis Hoard grew up in Grapeland, Texas, population 1634, hidden deep in East Texas. She was raised in a single-parent household by her grandmother Velma Tillis, aka Big Mama. Big Mama instilled in her a firm foundation based on religion, hard work, and perseverance. You would never know that T-52 (how she describes her age), Trenia grew up on government cheese and garage sale clothes. Poverty was only a state of being that Trenia would never consider changing. It taught her survival skills, not to look for handouts, and how to make the most of very little. Entitlement has never been a word that would describe Trenia. She was a minority girl in a rural, country town dominated by people who did not look like her.

Trenia was not a great student. Her high school counselor even told her because of low SAT scores not to attend college. But, Trenia went above and beyond that counselor’s expectations. Trenia was determined out of high school to become a funeral director. She was interested in helping the deceased and their family members a proper send off from this earth. Little did she know, colleges were not offering this degree. She ultimately earned a Rehabilitation Degree in Orientation of the Visually Handicapped.

The best little basketball city in Texas.

In many small towns, sports are a major form of entertainment and a way to keep young children out of trouble. In Grapeland, basketball bonded people of all races, genders, and economic standards into a single unit motivated to be the best little basketball city in Texas. T’s life is the seedling of a little orange ball. Being tall for her age, 7th grade Trenia was asked to play basketball. She played because it seemed fun and her teammates bribed her with Oreos. Every 20-point game was worth a pack of the famous cookie. Little did T-15 know that basketball would lead her to so many amazing opportunities.

Basketball dreams.

From high school small town phenom, to college basketball superstar, to Division I Assistant Coach, and eventually as Head Coach of a highly respected junior college program, Trenia and basketball have formed a special partnership. When her opportunity to lead the Tyler Jr College Women’s Basketball Program came, many said she was not ready. Some said she would not keep the Tyler Program strong. She proved them all wrong and kept the Tyler Lady Apaches Basketball Program at a nationally-ranked level, culminating in an NJCAA D1 National Championship in 2022.

Trenia entered the coaching profession as a means to supplement graduate school. However, allowing God to lead her, she walks in the greatness of what God sends next. When life gave her obstacles, Trenia either jumped over them or ran through them. At the age of 36, after being told she could not have children, Trenia gave birth to her daughter Senoj Jones. Her daughter is fondly considered an “old egg.” She is married to her husband of six years, Mr. Rogerick Hoard.