Coach led girls basketball team to pair of 3A state titles
The Island News
Joseph Stroman Jr., the most decorated basketball coach in Battery Creek High School history, died at his Burton home Thursday, Nov. 13.
Stroman, 83, is survived by his wife, Trudelle G. Stroman. A Celebration of Life was held last week at Grace Chapel AME Church on Lady’s Island.
“Coach” Stroman, a science teacher for the Beaufort County School District, coached football, basketball and track and field at Robert Smalls High School from 1967 to 1973. From there he went to Batter Creek, where he coached from 1973 to 2006.
From 1973 through 1995, Stroman was 288-57 in boys track, winning four region championships from 1974 through 1977, the first region championships in Battery Creek’s history.
But it was girls basketball where Stroman really made his mark, going 253-126 and winning 3A state championships in 1996 and 1998.
Former players called Stroman “tough but fair” and said he pushed players to be “better than they intended to be.” Many of his girls went on to college, while two played professionally, one in the WNBA and one in Europe.
Stroman was inducted into the Batter Creek Athletic Hall of Fame in 2015. In 2023, the new Batter Creek gymnasium was dedicated in his name — Joseph Stroman Jr. Gymnasium.
In 2025, he was inducted into the S.C. Athletic Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
His plaque read, “Beyond the wins, Coach Stroman’s greatest legacy is the lasting impact he made on his players and the Battery Creek community. He expressed deep gratitude to his wife, Trudelle, his son, Damon, and the entire Battery Creek community for their unwavering support.”
The family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the following organizations:
— Wesley United Methodist Men, 701 West Street, Beaufort, S.C. 29902
— Claflin Alumni Association, 5 Thoroughbred Circle, Beaufort, S.C. 29906
— Kappa Iota Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, 20 Brasstown Way, Beaufort, S.C. 29906
