UAFS women’s basketball coach Louis Whorton has announced the hiring of Jordan Greenleaf as assistant women’s basketball coach.

Greenleaf previously was assistant women’s basketball coach at NJCAA State Fair Community College and fills a vacancy created by the recent resignation of former UAFS assistant women’s coach Elisa Shoate, who returned to nursing fulltime.

“We had a very impressive list of candidates for the job. I was really impressed with not only the quantity of people who applied but also the quality of people who applied,” Whorton said. “Jordan set herself above the rest. People whom I know and trust who have worked with her and coached her just raved about her. In getting to know her, I was impressed with her maturity and her drive to be successful in college basketball. She’s just a really impressive young lady, and she will be a great addition to our basketball family.”

Greenleaf was assistant coach at State Fair Community College for two seasons, and the Rex, Ga., native brings experience both as a player and as a coach.

This past season, Greenleaf helped guide the Lady Roadrunners to a 23-6 overall record. State Fair, which finished the regular season ranked No. 12 in the nation, lost to Mineral Area College in the Region XVI championship game.

During her first season at State Fair, Greenleaf helped lead the Lady Roadrunners to a 21-9 overall record, the Region XVI Tournament championship and a berth in the NJCAA National Tournament. The Roadrunners lost to Western Nebraska in the first round of the national tournament.

“The fact that she’s worked for two years at the junior college level says that she’s learned how to do more with less because that’s what you have to do at the junior college level,” Whorton said. “Having a blue collar job, which is kind of what junior college is, she’s learned to do the work. She’s going to have a great work ethic.”

Greenleaf began her coaching career at Jonesboro High School in Jonesboro, Ga., during the 2012-2013 season. She served as the junior varsity head coach and assistant varsity coach. She led her JV team to the county championship and helped lead the varsity to the state Final Four.

Greenleaf played college basketball at Auburn University in Auburn, Ala. She was named to the Southeastern Conference All-Freshman team and the SEC Academic Honor Roll and earned the Auburn Academic Top Tiger Award.

She finished her Auburn career ranked ninth in rebounds with 761 and tied for sixth in career blocks with 139. Greenleaf scored 858 points in her college career, registered 160 steals and dished out 154 assists. She recorded a career-high 19 points against archrival Alabama during her senior campaign.

Greenleaf earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in mass communication with a minor in sports coaching. She played high school basketball at Morrow High School, where she was a four-year starter. She was a three-time Georgia Gatorade Player of the Year.

http://www.uafortsmithlions.com/news/2015/6/30/WBB_0630150224.aspx