DOVER, Del.— Delaware State University head women's basketball coach Tamika Louis has announced the hiring of Devona Knight as the Hornets' director of basketball operations.
Knight will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the team including coordination of all team travel and calendar events like team functions, meetings, and community service. She will also be the point of contact for all women's basketball administrative needs, oversee managers and student workers, and assist with video exchange.
"I am excited to have Devona as a part of staff," Louis said. "She is young, energetic, and eager to learn. She immediately made an impression on me as she reached out to me as a recent graduate to learn more about the business of collegiate athletics and wanting to excel. Devona is highly organized, pays attention to detail and is task-oriented. She will do an excellent job and the entire staff is dedicated to help her improve and grow in every aspect."
Knight joins DSU after spending one season at Washington College as a graduate student and assistant coach, assisting with recruiting, scheduling campus visits, organizing practices, overseeing guard skill workouts, filming, and scheduling contracts.
The Shorewomen went 16-9 overall last season including five and six game-winning streaks and going 11-9 in Centennial Conference play in Knight's lone season. The 16 wins tied a WC school record for victories in a single season, while the 11 conference wins were the most in Shorewomen history. Knight led the program through its first winning season since finishing 15-9 during the 1998-99 campaign.
The Woodbridge, Va. native played collegiate basketball at Division II Pfeiffer University and has experience as a youth coach, trainer and camp counselor and director. She graduated in May 2011 with a degree in sports management.
While at Pfeiffer, Knight was a team captain and earned All-Conference Carolina's honorable mention in 2009, averaging 12.6 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game. Over her four-year career, she averaged 9.4 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 2.0 assists while breaking a school record by hauling down 27 rebounds in a single game (2008).
Knight has been a camp director at Sports Booth Athletic Center in Stafford, Va. each of the past three summers. She also served as a team coach for the Lady Hoop Booth Development Team (U13) and as an assistant coach for Lady Hoop Booth (U16), operating out of the Basketball Booth Academy (BBA) in Stafford. She also spent time as both a basketball trainer and camp counselor at BBA.
The former Gar-Field High School standout is the first of Louis' hires for the anticipated 2012-13 five-coach staff.
