The University of Memphis women’s basketball team has added two new staffers it was announced by head coach Melissa McFerrin, Friday. Darryl Brown joins Memphis as the program’s associate head coach, and Kat Kundmueller has taken over as the program’s Director of Basketball Operations.
Brown comes to Memphis after spending the last two seasons as an assistant coach at Cleveland State. Last season, he helped the Vikings to an at-large WNIT bid after Cleveland State finished third in the Horizon League, posting a 19-13 overall record.
Prior to Cleveland State, Brown was an assistant coach for five seasons at Pepperdine University, three as an assistant coach and two as the associate head coach. In his five seasons with the Waves, Brown helped Pepperdine to three consecutive third-place finishes in the West Coast Conference and the finals of the 2012 WCC Championship. Six Waves earned conference honors in Brown’s time at Pepperdine and the team made back to back WNIT appearances in 2010 and 2011.
Brown also spent four years coaching at Cheyney University, an NCAA Division II school in Pennsylvania. Brown joined the Wolves staff as an assistant coach in 2004-2006 and in the 2006-07 season, was elevated to interim head coach. After assuming the head coach title in 2007-08, Brown guided Cheyney to its best record in 18 years, earning Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Coach of the Year honors, the first coach in the program’s history to earn the league honor.
A 1995 graduate of Temple University with a degree in Marketing, Brown also coached as an assistant at his alma mater from 1998-2000 and at Montclair State from 2001-02. A native of Philadelphia, Brown got in to coaching through his work in the Police Athletic League. In three years as an assistant at Norristown Area High School, he helped the team to three consecutive 20-winseasons and the second round of the state playoffs. Under his tutelage, seven athletes received Division I scholarships and three others went on to play Division II basketball.
“Darryl has tremendous experiences,” McFerrin said. “Having been a long-time assistant coach and a head coach, he brings a broad perspective to the practice floor and to the bench. He has a tremendous passion for the game, especially on the defensive end of the floor. He has outstanding character, an ability to connect and motivate players and a true dedication to success for Memphis Women’s Basketball.”
Brown replaces David Midlick, who took over as the head women’s basketball coach at Austin Peay University in May and will be one of two newcomers on the staff.
Kat Kundmueller, who spent the last two seasons as an assistant coach at Presbyterian College, is also new to the Memphis program, taking over as the program’s Director of Women’s Basketball Operations.
“Kat brings previous operations and coaching experience to our Director of Operations position. As a former student-athlete and coach, she understands the rigors, needs and challenges of our coaches and players. She will assist our team to function at a high level,” McFerrin said. “In addition, Kat has a tremendous desire to mentor our student-athletes and I trust the values she brings to our program.” A former point guard at Abilene Christian University, Kundmueller spent the last two years as an assistant coach at Presbyterian College in South Carolina. The Blue Hose posted a 16-15 record last season, including a 10-3 record at home. PC finished with the nation’s fifth-ranked defense (52.0 points allowed) and the eighth-best field goal percentage defense in the country. Kundmueller worked with the guards at Presbyterian, helping freshman Cortney Storey earn Big South Freshman of the Year honors.
Prior to her stay at Presbyterian, Kundmueller coached for three seasons at Faulkner (Ala.) University. The Lady Eagles improved in the standings in each of Kundmueller’s three seasons in the Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC) en route a No. 18 national ranking in 2012-13. In that same season, Faulkner qualified for its first-ever NAIA National Tournament, where they knocked off No. 12 Xavier in the first round.
Kundmueller played point guard at Abilene Christian University, racking up a number of the school’s assist records in Division II. On her graduation in 2010, she held the career assist record (584), the record for career assists per game (5.1), single season assists (213), single season assists per game (7.6) and single game assists (16). She helped her team to the NCAA Division II regionals in her final two seasons and ranked second in the nation in assists per game both years as well.
She graduated from Abilene Christian with a degree in psychology and as a two-time selection to the Lone Star Conference all-academic team. She was also a two-time All-Lone Star Conference honorable mention honoree.
At Memphis, Kundmueller will oversee both internal and external needs for the Tigers, including team travel, practice set up and inventory control. Kundmueller takes over from former Director of Operations Donease Smith, who is now at Kansas.
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