Tulsa Head Women’s Basketball Coach Matilda Mossman announced today the appointment of Megan Byford as an assistant coach for the Golden Hurricane. Byford comes to Tulsa from the Oklahoma State coaching staff.
"Megan excelled as a post player in college because of her work ethic and mental toughness, and we are excited about her bringing those characteristics to The University of Tulsa," Mossman said. "She will assume mentorship of our post players which will allow Shane Coffey more flexibility in other areas.
"As a player, Megan was a part of an Oklahoma State team that made it to the Sweet 16. As a coach, she has been to the Division II Elite 8 and the NJCAA Final Four, and that experience is invaluable. After already having experience on the floor as well as on the road recruiting, she seized the opportunity to go back to Oklahoma State to pursue a second master’s degree to continue to learn and grow as a coach, which speaks volumes to her work ethic and commitment to excellence. We are excited about finalizing this important piece of our coaching staff and can’t wait to get her here to meet our players and fans."
A native of Bray, Okla., Byford was a graduate assistant coach at Oklahoma State this past season. She assisted with post player development, helped with in-practice drills and assisted the recruiting coordinator in daily responsibilities.
Prior to Oklahoma State, Byford served as a graduate assistant coach at Pittsburg State for one season (2011-12) and as an assistant coach at Northern Oklahoma College-Enid for one season (2010-11). She helped Pitt State reach the NCAA Division II Elite 8 in 2012 and a year earlier helped Northern Oklahoma JC advance to the NJCAA Final Four.
Byford played from OSU for three seasons (2007-10), where she was a starting post player for two years and served as team captain as a senior. She helped guide the Cowgirls to three-straight postseason tournament appearances, including a "Sweet 16" showing in 2008, the WNIT Second Round in 2009, and a No. 3 seed and NCAA Second Round performance in 2010. Byford led the Cowgirls in field goal percentage all three years, and finished her career ranked fourth in field goal percentage and sixth in blocked shots.
Byford began her college career at Northern Oklahoma College-Enid, where she was named a third-team NJCAA All-American and led the nation in field goal percentage at 71.4-percent.
Byford earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism and broadcasting from Oklahoma State in 2009, a master’s degree in athletic and leisure management from Pittsburg State in 2012, and will earn a master’s degree in education from Oklahoma State in June 2013.
Byford replaces the position vacated by Fred Castro last month after he accepted an assistant coaching position at Washington.
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