Elon University Women’s Basketball Head Coach Charlotte Smith has announcd that 2017 Elon graduate Essence Baucom will be joining the staff as an assistant coach. A two-time team captain, Baucom competed for the Phoenix from 2014-17 and spent the past season as an assistant coach at Furman.
“We are excited to have one of our very own as part of the Elon Women’s Basketball staff,” head coach Charlotte Smith said. “Essence was instrumental in building a championship program here at Elon as a player. She had a tireless work ethic and I am confident that she will instill the same mentality into our players.”
In her one season at Furman, Baucom helped the Paladins to an 11-14 record, which included a 9-1 mark at home. Prior to that she spent two seasons as a graduate assistant at NC State, earning her master’s degree. At NC State, she helped the Wolfpack to a 28-4 record and the program’s first ACC Tournament Championship since 1991. She worked with NC State’s guards and well as on opponent scouting and practice preparation.
Prior to joining the staff at NC State, Baucom served as an assistant coach at Lakeside High School in Atlanta, Ga. She also spent time as a facilities and sporting events/summer camps coordinator at Elon.
Baucom started 93 of her 96 career games in the marron and gold and finished her Elon career with 382 assists, placing her seventh on Elon’s all-time leaderboard. Her assists per game average of 4.0 ranks third in program history. As a senior, she was named to the CAA All-Tournament team after scoring 16 points in a 78-60 victory over James Madison in the CAA Championship game. The Phoenix finished the season with a 27-7 record and earned an 11 seed in the 2017 NCAA Tournament, the program’s first ever bid. Baucom also played an integral role in Elon’s WNIT berths in 2015 and 2016.
Baucom holds two bachelor’s degrees from Elon: sport and event management and marketing, with a minor in business administration. She also collected her master’s degree in liberal studies from NC State in May of 2020.
