Kennesaw State Director of Athletics Milton Overton announced Octavia Blue as the next women’s basketball head coach Thursday. Blue joins KSU after a successful nine-year run as an assistant coach for the University of Miami.
“I am pleased to welcome a rising star in the coaching industry, Octavia Blue, to lead our women’s basketball program,” said Overton. “I have been impressed with her values, ability to connect with student-athletes, and coaching acumen. Coach Blue shares our mission to ‘build champions in the classroom, on the court, in the community and in life with academic integrity and excellence.’ I am excited for Owl Nation to see the brand of basketball and program Coach Blue will build at Kennesaw State. Her experiences developing winning teams and individuals at Miami, Georgia Tech, and St. John’s, combined with her impressive accolades as a former student-athlete, will be instrumental in leading our program to a championship level.”
Coaching at her alma mater, Blue recently served as associate head coach for the 2020-21 season. She has been on staff with Miami women’s basketball as an assistant coach since the 2012-13 season and has accumulated 14 seasons as a coach after her Hall-of-Fame playing career.
“I could not be more excited and honored to join the KSU family and be the next head coach of the women’s basketball team,” said Blue. “The opportunities for greatness this university provides on and off the court, along with its community support, makes Kennesaw State a really special place. I am eager to roll up my sleeves and get to work!”
Working primarily with post players, Blue has coached eight players to 10 total All-Atlantic Coast Conference honors at Miami, including six first-team accolades and two All-ACC Defensive Team honors. Notably, she worked closely with Beatrice Mompremier, who earned AP and WBCA All-America recognition in back-to-back seasons. Mompremier was a 2019 and 2020 finalist for the Lisa Leslie Center of the Year Award and was tabbed ACC Preseason Player of the Year ahead of the 2019-20 campaign.
Five players signed WNBA contracts during Blue’s nine seasons at Miami, including Mompremier, who was selected 20th overall in the 2020 WNBA Draft by the Los Angeles Sparks. In total, Blue has coached 14 Hurricanes that have gone on to play professionally.
Blue will bring considerable tournament experience to KSU. She has coached the Hurricanes to six NCAA Tournament appearances (2013, 2015-19), and a trip to the WNIT in 2014.
Blue holds not only a strong insight from the sidelines but has developed her total skillsets through symposiums and workshops. In 2019, Blue participated in the Women Leaders in College Sports/Next Up Program at the WBCA Convention and was also a member of the Next Chair Symposium. In 2017, she served as an assistant coaches’ board member for the Kay Yow Cancer Fund. That same year, she attended the Indiana Fever training camp.
“It has been an honor to serve as the lead for our women’s basketball coaching search on behalf of AD Overton. KSU is a progressive and competitive R2 institution, with great leadership, community support and a winning spirit which has made this a nationally coveted position; evidenced by a talented, diverse pool of over 100 applicants,” said Chief Operating Officer Tamica Smith Jones. “After engaging our key stakeholders, including our remarkable scholar-athletes, we determined the right fit would be a winner, elite recruiter and player developer whose passion for the game and our team would build both a caring and competitive culture. Coach Blue connected with our stakeholders and communicated a clear vision to advance our program toward winning at the next level. She shared her commitment to retain, recruit, hire, develop and empower a great team of people. Her enthusiasm and passion are infectious, and we hope it will bring campus, community and national excitement around our women’s basketball program that it deserves.”
Blue holds familiarity in the region after working three seasons as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Georgia Tech. During her time in Atlanta, the Yellow Jackets posted three 20-plus win seasons, made three NCAA tournament appearances and reeled in two top-25 recruiting classes (No. 24 in 2011 and No. 13 in 2012).
She coached three All-ACC players and three WNBA Draft picks. Brigitte Ardossi was drafted by the Atlanta Dream in the second round in 2010, Alex Montgomery was taken in the first round by the New York Liberty in 2011 and Sasha Goodlett was picked in the first round in 2012 by the Indiana Fever.
Blue’s first season as a Division I assistant coach was in 2008-09 at St. John’s, where she helped the Red Storm advance to the WNIT. Under the guidance of Blue, Dashena Stevens was named the 2008-09 BIG EAST Rookie of the Year.
From 1994-98, Blue amassed 1,724 points as a Hurricane, placing her fourth in program history at the time, and still good for eighth. She shot a school record 45.3 percent from three-point range as a senior.
After her decorated collegiate career, she was selected No. 15 overall in 1998 by the Los Angeles Sparks, becoming Miami’s first WNBA Draft pick.
Blue had an extensive professional career that lasted from 1998-2006, which included playing for two WNBA teams and international clubs in Greece, Israel, France, Turkey and Poland.
She returned to Miami to complete her degree in sociology/sport management in 2007 and was inducted into the UM Sports Hall of Fame and named an ACC Women’s Basketball Legend in 2008. In 2016, Blue’s No. 10 jersey became the fourth in program history raised to the rafters in Coral Gables, Fla.
Blue will be introduced to the KSU community at a press conference held on a later date.
What others are saying about Octavia Blue…
“Octavia Blue has left an incredible mark on the University of Miami women’s basketball program both as a player and a coach. She will be deeply missed by our university community. She is a tremendous basketball coach who will keep her student-athletes at the heart of every decision she makes. I have no doubt Octavia will find continued success at KSU both on the court and in the community. She is prepared and ready for this next chapter. Kennesaw State made an exceptional hire in Octavia Blue.” – Jennifer Strawley, Miami Deputy Director of Athletics/COO/SWA
“Octavia Blue is the perfect hire for Kennesaw State women’s basketball. She is a tireless worker who always puts the team first. Her personality is infectious and her passion for an elite standard is unmatched. The future is extremely bright for Octavia and the Owls!” – Carolyn Kieger, Penn State women’s basketball head coach
“I’ve known Octavia Blue for over a decade, and she has consistently been a person of integrity and an incredible leader. At Georgia Tech, I saw firsthand the relationships she nurtured with players, parents, and staff, and the trust she cultivated in establishing a winning culture. Her vast experiences as a former player, and track record for recruiting and developing top talent, make this a home run hire for a program on the rise at Kennesaw State.” – LaChina Robinson, ESPN broadcaster
