Post by semosupporter on Apr 18, 2007 9:13:49 GMT -5
Murray State University director of athletics Allen Ward announced the hiring of Jody Adams as the Lady Racers’ 11th head coach on Tuesday in The Murray Room of the Regional Special Events Center.
“I am very excited and very thankful for this opportunity,” Adams said. “I look forward to the challenge ahead and stepping in with a group of young ladies who seem to know what it takes. When we talked earlier, they talked a lot about hard work and discipline. I’m ready to jump in there and build on the success they had last season.”
Adams served as the associate head coach at Southern Illinois for the last three seasons, helping the Salukis go from a 3-24 overall mark and 1-17 Missouri Valley Conference record in the 2004-05 season to last year’s 21-11 record and MVC regular-season championship and Women’s NIT berth.
Prior to her time at SIU, Adams served as the associate head coach at Missouri-Kansas City (2001-04). She has also served as an assistant coach at Minnesota, Wake Forest and Auburn.
Adams graduated from Tennessee in 1994 with a bachelor’s degree in human performance sports studies, with an emphasis on physical education.
As a coach, she headed the recruiting program at Southern Illinois, developing a recruiting system for the staff and governing all student-athletes recruited by SIU with regard to eligibility, the NCAA Clearinghouse, paperwork for official visits and the National Letter-of-Intent.
She oversaw the implementation of the recruiting budget and provided on-court instruction for the guards and post players.
While an associate head coach at Missouri-Kansas City, she was named the 2003 AFLAC National Assistant Coach of the Year. She also served as the recruiting coordinator, overseeing the recruiting and equipment budget and creating and implementing a year-long strength and conditioning program.
As an assistant coach at Minnesota, she earned recognition as having a Top 5 Recruiting Class in the Nation, recruiting current WNBA player Lindsey Whalen.
As a player, Adams had an illustrious four-year career at Tennessee as a point guard, taking part in 107 games. She helped the Lady Vols to four Southeastern Conference titles and the 1990-91 NCAA championship.
She led the team in free-throw percentage in 1989-90 and 1990-91 and in assists in 1991-92. She ranked among the top 10 in career free-throw percentage, three-pointers made and three-pointers attempted.
She was a 1992-93 Pre-Season All-American and a two-time All-SEC Academic Team honoree. She was named to the 1990-91 All-Mid-East Regional Team and the 1990 U.S. Junior National Team and South U.S. Festival Team.
She was a two-time recipient of the Unsung Heroine Award and earned the 1993 Lady Vol Torch Award for Scholastic Excellence and the 1993 Lady Vol Coach’s Award.
“Coach Adams brings a wealth of experience to the Lady Racers program,” Ward said. “Her background allows us to build upon last year’s success, and ultimately, take our women’s basketball program to a whole new level.
“Jody has experience at all levels of Division I, and has been directly responsible for recruiting and signing some of the best talent this region has to offer. I’m confident that the relationships she has established will immediately impact our program.
“I am excited to think about where Coach Adams will lead our women’s basketball program,” Ward said. “She is well prepared and knows what it takes to become a champion.”
“I am very excited and very thankful for this opportunity,” Adams said. “I look forward to the challenge ahead and stepping in with a group of young ladies who seem to know what it takes. When we talked earlier, they talked a lot about hard work and discipline. I’m ready to jump in there and build on the success they had last season.”
Adams served as the associate head coach at Southern Illinois for the last three seasons, helping the Salukis go from a 3-24 overall mark and 1-17 Missouri Valley Conference record in the 2004-05 season to last year’s 21-11 record and MVC regular-season championship and Women’s NIT berth.
Prior to her time at SIU, Adams served as the associate head coach at Missouri-Kansas City (2001-04). She has also served as an assistant coach at Minnesota, Wake Forest and Auburn.
Adams graduated from Tennessee in 1994 with a bachelor’s degree in human performance sports studies, with an emphasis on physical education.
As a coach, she headed the recruiting program at Southern Illinois, developing a recruiting system for the staff and governing all student-athletes recruited by SIU with regard to eligibility, the NCAA Clearinghouse, paperwork for official visits and the National Letter-of-Intent.
She oversaw the implementation of the recruiting budget and provided on-court instruction for the guards and post players.
While an associate head coach at Missouri-Kansas City, she was named the 2003 AFLAC National Assistant Coach of the Year. She also served as the recruiting coordinator, overseeing the recruiting and equipment budget and creating and implementing a year-long strength and conditioning program.
As an assistant coach at Minnesota, she earned recognition as having a Top 5 Recruiting Class in the Nation, recruiting current WNBA player Lindsey Whalen.
As a player, Adams had an illustrious four-year career at Tennessee as a point guard, taking part in 107 games. She helped the Lady Vols to four Southeastern Conference titles and the 1990-91 NCAA championship.
She led the team in free-throw percentage in 1989-90 and 1990-91 and in assists in 1991-92. She ranked among the top 10 in career free-throw percentage, three-pointers made and three-pointers attempted.
She was a 1992-93 Pre-Season All-American and a two-time All-SEC Academic Team honoree. She was named to the 1990-91 All-Mid-East Regional Team and the 1990 U.S. Junior National Team and South U.S. Festival Team.
She was a two-time recipient of the Unsung Heroine Award and earned the 1993 Lady Vol Torch Award for Scholastic Excellence and the 1993 Lady Vol Coach’s Award.
“Coach Adams brings a wealth of experience to the Lady Racers program,” Ward said. “Her background allows us to build upon last year’s success, and ultimately, take our women’s basketball program to a whole new level.
“Jody has experience at all levels of Division I, and has been directly responsible for recruiting and signing some of the best talent this region has to offer. I’m confident that the relationships she has established will immediately impact our program.
“I am excited to think about where Coach Adams will lead our women’s basketball program,” Ward said. “She is well prepared and knows what it takes to become a champion.”
