There's no place like home," said Dorothy Gale in The Wizard of Oz.
For Northern Arizona alum Laura Dinkins, that sentiment has echoed quietly in her heart for nearly two decades. Now, she's home – back in Flagstaff, back in Blue and Gold and this time, she's calling the shots.
Dinkins, officially announced on April 1 as the 13th head coach of NAU women's basketball, brings with her 15 years of Division I experience, an NCAA tournament memory that still fuels her and an unshakable pride in the program that made her who she is.
When Dinkins was a high school standout in Southern California, she hadn't planned on falling in love with the mountain air. But a recruiting visit in the early 2000s changed everything.
"Driving up from Phoenix, I remember seeing those Ponderosa pines, the clear skies, the fresh air – it was unlike anything I'd ever seen," she recalled. "I was sold. I just fell in love with it."
At the time, NAU was led by head coach Meg Sanders and assistant John Margaritis, who helped recruit Dinkins. Once on campus, she knew it was the right fit – athletically, academically and personally.
"It checked all my boxes," she said. "I've always believed that when it feels right, you take that leap of faith. That's what I did and it was one of the best decisions I ever made."
During her playing days from 2003-08, Dinkins carved out one of the most decorated careers in program history. She helped the Lumberjacks to their lone NCAA Tournament appearance in 2006 and earned Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year in 2007. An all-conference selection as a senior in 2008, Dinkins still ranks among NAU's all-time leaders in rebounds, steals and minutes played. But her impact went beyond statistics. Dinkins was part of the team that set the standard for success, a bar she now hopes to raise even higher from the sidelines.
After graduation, she took her game overseas, playing professionally in the Netherlands and Germany, where she captained her team to a Division II championship. Yet even as she chased rebounds abroad, her future path was already forming.
"Coaching was always something I knew I wanted to do," she said. "I thought I'd have to start at the high school level, but the opportunity came sooner than expected."
That opportunity came in 2010, when her former coach, Laurie Kelly invited her back to Flagstaff as an assistant. It was the first step in a journey that would take Dinkins across the country and through some of the top mid-major programs in Division I basketball.
Her coaching journey has taken her across the West, shaping programs and players at every stop. She began at Idaho State (2012-14) as a recruiting coordinator and assistant coach before joining Fresno State (2014-17), where she helped guide the Bulldogs to three consecutive winning seasons and two postseason appearances. From there, she spent six years at Long Beach State (2017-23), playing a key role in setting a Big West Conference record for league wins over a three-year span.
Most recently, at Grand Canyon University (2023-25), Dinkins served as associate head coach and recruiting coordinator, helping lead the Lopes to back-to-back 24-plus win seasons and the program's first NCAA Tournament berth in school history.
"Hope isn't even the right word," she said with a laugh. "Coming back to NAU as head coach would've been the dream scenario. I just never knew it would actually happen."
That dream came true last spring. After being courted by several programs, the call she had been waiting for finally appeared on her phone. NAU wanted to talk.
"I was nervous as all get out," she said. "I'd practiced answers in the mirror, gone over every question. But when I heard Uri Farkas' voice, there was this calmness that came over me. I just knew this was where I was supposed to be."
Farkas echoed that same sense of alignment.
"It was evident Coach Dinkins has an unrivaled passion for NAU and our women's basketball program," Farkas said. "She's the ideal coach to lead the Lumberjacks."
When she returned to campus, the nostalgia hit immediately – familiar hallways, mountain views and the echoes of past practices.
"Every corner I turned brought back memories," she said. "But it was business right away. I wanted to hit the ground running."
That urgency was necessary. The Lumberjacks had just two returning players and more than a half-dozen roster spots to fill. Dinkins and her staff dove headfirst into recruiting, rebuilding the team from the ground up with players who shared her passion for success.
"I wanted student-athletes who take pride in wearing NAU across their chest," she said. "We're going to play fast, play tough and play with heart. Defense will always be our foundation, but our identity will be built on grit and togetherness."
For Dinkins, this isn't just a job – it's her homecoming. The same campus that once shaped her as a player is now the setting for the next chapter of her coaching journey.
"NAU shaped me as both a player and a person," she said. "Now I get to help shape the next generation of Lumberjacks. That's the real privilege."
And just like Dorothy's journey back to Kansas, Dinkins' return to Flagstaff is more than a full-circle moment – it's a reminder that sometimes, the road home is exactly where destiny was pointing all along.
