Former SEC Great and two-time WNBA Champion Yolanda Moore was introduced as the new head coach of the LSU Eunice women’s basketball team on Tuesday afternoon, becoming the third coach in program history.
"I am very excited about this opportunity. I plan to come in and work very hard to build a championship program. I am a winner, that’s what I do," Moore said.
"There is a vision for the women’s basketball program, and that is to win. That is the vision I plan to help carry out. I plan to come in and hit the ground running. I don’t know anything else except to work hard. I want to lead these young ladies, develop them on and off the court and teach them a championship mindset in their daily lives."
"I want to play a style of basketball that you all are proud of and that you want to see and feel like you are a part of. We want to make this University proud," Moore added.
LSU Eunice Athletic Director Jeff Willis calls it an exciting time for the Lady Bengals, saying he was "thrilled" with having Moore guide the program in the years to come.
"In our (search) process, we wanted to identify someone who that has won at a high level and has a tremendous amount of experience in women’s basketball. Without a doubt we have hit a home run," Willis said.
Moore has learned from some of the best coaches in the game of women’s basketball, playing under coaches that include Women’s Basketball Hall of Famers Van Chancellor, Nancy Lieberman and Peggie Gillom. She also played alongside and against some of the greatest players in women’s basketball, including Cynthia Cooper, Sheryl Swoops and Tina Thompson.
Moore played collegiately at the University of Mississippi, where she was a three-time All-SEC selection, including being a unanimous selection to the All-SEC First Team during her final two years. She was inducted into the University of Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in 2010 and was honored as an SEC Great in 2012.
Professionally, Moore played six years in the WNBA in Europe and Asia. She earned one of the final roster spots for the Houston Comets in the inaugural WNBA season in 1997 before winning back-to-back Championships with Houston in 1997 and 1998. Moore played in a total of 66 games during her WNBA career with Houston and the Orlando Miracle.
Moore has experience as a head coach at both the AAU and high school levels, while she has also worked as a television and radio basketball analyst in Atlanta and Memphis.
Moore travels the country teaching and sharing her testimony of strength through interactive workshops, seminars, and keynote speeches. She released her inspirational book "You Will Win If You Don’t’ Quit" in September 2012, which is currently available on Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com.
A native of Port Gibson, Miss., Moore attended Port Gibson High School. She earned Bachelor of Arts degrees in English and Radio & TV from the University of Mississippi, a master’s degree in Workforce Educational Leadership from Alcorn State University, and is currently pursuing an Educational Specialist Degree in Instructional Technology and a PhD in Instructional Systems and Workforce Development at Mississippi State University.
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