Sharpe leads UAH to historic Elite Eight berth

10:18 a.m. March 17, 2026

DUANE CROSS
MCO Publisher•Editor

While NCAA Division I March Madness commands most of the headlines this time of year, Alabama-Huntsville is making history of its own.

The UAH women’s basketball team, led by head coach Allen Sharpe, has advanced to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight for the first time in program history.

The Chargers are 31-5 overall and earned their spot in the national quarterfinals with wins over Edward Waters, Nova Southeastern, and Eckerd.

Sharpe, hired by UAH in April 2024 after leading both the men’s and women’s programs at Wallace State, also brings a Moore County connection to the Chargers’ postseason run.

He is married to former Raiderettes basketball standout Susan Faulkner, and the couple has three children. Ally is a senior at Moore County High School, Anderson is a freshman, and Garrison attends UAH and is a member of the men's basketball team.

The NCAA Division II Elite Eight will be held in Pittsburgh beginning Tuesday, March 24, at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse. The tournament will be broadcast on ESPN+.

UAH is one of three No. 1 national seeds remaining in the field, including Indiana (Pa.) and Grand Valley State. The Chargers will learn their opponent once the eight-team bracket is finalized. In Division II, the NCAA committee reseeds the field before setting the national quarterfinal matchups.

The other Elite Eight teams are Cal Poly Pomona, Carson-Newman, Colorado Mesa, Holy Family, and Minnesota Duluth.

For Sharpe and the Chargers, the trip to Pittsburgh is a historic step for the program and gives Moore County fans a local tie to one of Division II’s biggest postseason stories.