Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns women’s basketball coach Garry Brodhead announced on Thursday that Katherine Katz, a New Orleans native and former assistant at Appalachian State, Samford and LSU, has joined the staff as an assistant coach for the 2015-16 season.
The hiring of Katz, a graduate of New Orleans’ Isidore Newman School, is subject to approval from the University of Louisiana Board of Supervisors.
Katz, who will serve as the Ragin’ Cajuns recruiting coordinator, spent the 2013-14 season at Appalachian State, where the school was in its last season in the Southern Conference before moving to the Sun Belt Conference.
Before her tenure at App State, Katz spent five seasons as an assistant at Samford University, where she helped guide the Bulldogs to a pair of Southern Conference Tournament titles, two trips to the NCAA Tournament and three postseason tournament appearances.
“Coach Katz brings a world of experience and knowledge of basketball from her previous coaching positions,” Brodhead said. “Coaching alongside (Samford head coach) Mike Morris, she has great experience of running a modified Princeton offense that really fits the women’s game. But what I’m most excited for is her passion for the game and her drive to be the best.
“As a native of New Orleans, Kat has great contacts throughout the state of Louisiana and the region. She will be in charge of our recruiting as well as coaching our hybrids.”
During her time at Samford, Katz assisted in coaching a team that won at least 20 games in four-straight seasons, including a school-record 25 wins in 2010-11 to reach the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history, along with a second NCAA Tournament berth in 2012.
In her first season with Samford, Katz handled team travel operations, including arranging accommodations and meals and coordinated practice times. She was promoted in 2009, becoming involved in all aspects of the women’s basketball program, including recruiting, practices, and in-game coaching.
Prior to her stint at Samford, Katz served on staff at LSU, beginning as a graduate assistant for the Tigers in 2006.
While at LSU, Katz assisted with day-to-day operations, directed film exchange and assisted with special player breakdown and recruiting compilations. In addition to working with community promotions and the Junior Fast Break Club for community youth, Katz also served as an assistant to the head women’s basketball coach. She earned her master’s in kinesiology from LSU in 2008.
Before joining the Tigers, Katz served as a volunteer student assistant at her alma mater, Birmingham-Southern College. She organized monthly schedules for the coaching staff, compiled recruiting schedules, and oversaw film exchange.
A 2006 graduate of Birmingham-Southern, Katz earned her bachelor’s degree in English while a four-year member of the softball team. In addition, she was a three-year member of the Big South Conference Presidential Honor Roll.
http://www.ragincajuns.com/news/2015/7/16/WBB_0716155658.aspx
