University of Memphis Athletics
Brooks Donald Hired As Women's Basketball Assistant
Aug 01, 2003 | Women's Basketball
Aug. 1, 2003
MEMPHIS, TENN. - University of Memphis Women's Basketball Coach Joye Lee-McNelis announced today the hiring of Brooks Donald as an assistant coach for the Lady Tigers.
Donald replaces Jennifer Hoover who is leaving Memphis after one season to accept the position of director of basketball operations at the University of Virginia. A native of Roanoke, Va., Hoover cited the desire to move closer to home as the reason to leave the Lady Tigers after just one year.
A native of Jennings, La., Donald was an assistant coach at UALR for the last three seasons. She served as the interim head coach for a month upon the resignation of Tracey Stewart-Lange. This past May, Donald was the head girl's basketball coach at Saint Thomas More High School in Lafayette, La. She also founded her own basketball camp this year.
"Brooks is an incredible recruiter," said McNelis. "I really hired her for that reason. She has proven herself as having a great eye for talent. She also has such a great personality, and that is key in recruiting, and with relating to the players. I am very happy that Brooks has chosen to join our staff."
Donald has extensive coaching experience at the AAU level, having worked from 1995-2000 with the Acadiana Stars. In 1999, she also coached the Mississippi Pride 17 & under team that participated in the National Tournament in Clarksville, Tenn. She has also worked various basketball camps at UALR, Louisiana Tech, Mississippi State and Memphis.
Donald, 25, graduated from Mississippi State in 2000 with a bachelor of science degree in the college of Education. Her emphasis was sports communications. While at MSU, Donald was a basketball manager with the Lady Bulldogs for a year. A four-year letterwinner at Jennings High, Donald's collegiate playing hopes were cut short by a knee injury.
