HBU women’s basketball head coach Donna Finnie announced the hiring of Kacie Cryer to join her coaching staff as an assistant coach.
Cryer most recently was head coach at McNeese State University, where she held the position since 2016. She led the Cowgirls to the Southland Conference tournament in 2017 and 2018.
“I’m very excited to have Kacie join our staff this season,” Finnie said. “Whenever you can hire someone with head coaching experience, it’s a huge advantage, but when it’s someone who has been a head coach in our league, it’s a massive win for us.”
Cryer’s coaching career began at McNeese in 2008 as a graduate assistant. Prior to being named head coach, she saw stints as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for the Cowgirls. During her time as recruiting coordinator, the Cowgirls won the Southland Conference Tournament, made five postseason appearances, and appeared in the NCAA tournament in 2012.
“Kacie’s knowledge of the Southland Conference was a huge part of our decision-making process for this position, but what stood out was how she truly cares about her players and puts them first every day,” Finnie said. “That is so important to me for our program and I know that Kacie truly cares for each person and will go above and beyond for every one of our players. The way she led her program through two hurricanes last year, displacement from campus and multiple hurdles, I know we have the best person for this position.”
Cryer graduated from LSU-Shreveport in 2008 with a bachelor’s degree in general studies and earned her Master’s degree in instructional technology from McNeese in 2012.
A four-year student-athlete on the women’s basketball team at LSU-Shreveport, she graduated as the all-time free throw percentage leader in program history.
During her time as a student-athlete at Tuerlings Catholic High School in Lafayette, Louisiana, she helped lead the women’s basketball team to a state title in 2002, and was selected to the first team All-District and All-Parish Team.
Finnie concluded, “I am ready for her to hit the ground running but want to give a huge thank you to Becca Allison and Taylor Stahly who have really stepped up in the past few months when we have been shorthanded. They have done a tremendous job and I know with adding Kacie to our staff now, we are all tunnel vision on our focus for this year.”
