DOVER, Del.
– Delaware State University head women's basketball coach
Tamika Louis continues to add to her staff with the announcement of Yolanda Cole as an assistant coach for the 2012-13 season.
Cole
will be responsible for recruiting, development of guards, scouting
opponents, game scheduling and overseeing team managers. Additionally,
she will be the team's academic
liaison and game scout coordinator.
"Coach
Cole is one of the hardest working assistants in the business,"
commented Louis. "She is thorough and her knowledge of the game and X's
and O's makes her a standout."
Louis
continued, "Coach Cole will be a valuable asset to our program.
Additionally, her recruiting connections in Florida and Michigan will be
crucial as she continues
to prove that she is a top-notch recruiter."
Cole
comes to the Hornets after spending five seasons at Florida Atlantic
University as an assistant coach under head coach Chancellor Dugan.
While at FAU, the Owls improved
in the Sun Belt Conference from 13th
place during the 2007-08 season to third place overall during the
2011-12 campaign. Furthermore, the 2011-12 season proved to be
record-breaking for the Owls as they posted their first winning campaign
since
2005-06 and their 11 Sun
Belt Conference wins were the most since the team joined the league.
The team made its sixth postseason appearance and first since 2006.
FAU's trip to the WNIT was the first in program history.
During
her tenure at FAU, Cole was responsible for coaching guards and post
players, recruiting, scouting reports, practice planning, monitoring
academic success and scheduling
community outreach activities. Cole coached one SBC Defensive Player of
the Year (Teri Stamps, 2011-12), one Second-Team SBC selection (Chenise
Miller, 2011-12) and two Third-Team selections (Brittany Bowe, 2009-10
and Carla Stubbs, 2007-08) while with the
Owls.
Prior
to her time at Florida Atlantic, Cole spent three seasons as an
assistant coach under fellow DSU assistant coach, and then head coach
Yvette Harris, at Central Connecticut
State University. Her primary duties at CCSU included film exchange,
recruiting, scouting reports and academic monitoring. While with the
CCSU, the Blue Devils won the 2005-06 Great Alaska Shootout.
Additionally, Cole helped develop two First-Team All-Northeast
Conference student-athletes, as well as two members of the Northeast
Conference's All-Rookie team. She also coached the school's all-time
rebounder and WNBA hopeful, Gabriella Guegbelet. Guegbelet was also the
program's first 1,000 point/1,000 rebound player.
Cole
spent a season with Kellogg Community College as an assistant coach
before her time at CCSU. While there, the Lady Bruins were 14-0 (30-5
overall) and finished first
in the Western Conference of the MCCAA (Michigan Community College
Athletic Association). Furthermore, KCC placed first in the Region XII
District G Tournament and competed in their first ever NJCAA National
Tournament, finishing sixth overall.
The
Battle Creek, Mich. native earned her undergraduate degree in
psychology from the University of Michigan in 2003. While with the
Wolverines, Cole spent five seasons
as the head manager for the women's basketball squad in addition to
working as a camp counselor. Cole was a member of the WBCA "So You Want
To Be A Coach" Minority Grant Program in 2003.
Cole joins
Yvette Harris (assistant coach) and Devona Knight (director of basketball operations) on Louis' anticipated staff of five for the 2012-13 season.
