Taja Cole, a former standout point guard at Georgia and Virginia Tech, is in her second year on the Auburn women’s basketball coaching staff. She joined the program in June of 2025.

During her first season on the Plains, the Tigers went 15-17 overall and 3-13 in SEC play. Included in that inaugural season were a top-25 win over archrival Alabama, an SEC Tournament win for the first time in two seasons, and record crowds filling Neville Arena.

Cole entered the college coaching world after spending her post-collegiate career playing in various professional leagues, most recently the LNBPF in Mexico and Athletes Unlimited. She also coached high school basketball at S3 Academy in Virginia.

Cole played four seasons in Athletes Unlimited, averaging 9.5 points, 2.8 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 23.3 minutes per game. She also signed WNBA training camp contracts with the Connecticut Sun and Atlanta Dream.

Her final collegiate season at Virginia Tech, she was an ACC All-Defensive Team selection after starting all 30 games for the Hokies and leading the ACC with 194 assists. She averaged 9.6 points and 5.1 rebounds that season.

In two seasons at Georgia, she started every game and led the SEC in assists with 202 during the 2018-19 season, the third-most in a single season in Georgia history. She played her freshman season at Louisville.

Cole graduated from Georgia in 2019 and earned her master’s degree from Virginia Tech in 2021.