The full staff for head women’s basketball coach Sam Purcell continued to take shape after Purcell announced the hiring of Jimmy Yu on Monday. Yu will serve as the program’s director of operations.
Yu comes to Starkville after spending the previous four seasons at the University of Virginia. Yu joined the staff of WNBA legend Tina Thompson in July of 2018 as the assistant director of basketball operations before being promoted to the director of operations during the 2020-21 season.
“The key to any successful program starts behind the scenes with someone who can keep everything in line from daily tasks to travel preparations while never losing sight that the players come first,” Purcell said. “I just hit a home run with Jimmy. He is one of the hardest workers I know personally, but Jimmy is also someone who will never lose sight of making sure that the players are taken care of both on and off the court. When we worked together at Louisville, Jimmy put in the extra work in the community and across campus that led him to be one of the most likable guys on campus. I’m excited to watch him do the same thing here and positively impact the Starkville community. He will make my life easier, and I’m excited to have him here with me at Mississippi State.”
While at Virginia, Yu oversaw all operational and administrative aspects of the women’s basketball program. His duties included building and managing the annual budget, supervising office personnel and student-managers, coordinating team travel and practice schedules, managing the apparel budget.
“I am honored to be reunited with Sam and his family to start this new chapter here at Mississippi State,” Yu said. “I’m really excited about being at a place, and part of a community, that really loves women’s basketball. In my short time here already, it is evident that Starkville loves its women’s basketball team and that means the world to me. I believe in the vision that Sam has for this program and I’m excited to help him build on the unbelievable tradition that has already been built here while also putting his own stamp on the program as well. It’s going to be an exciting ride and I’m ready to get to work. Hail State!”
Prior to joining the staff at Virginia, Yu spent the 2017-18 season working as the video coordinator and assistant director of operations for the Wake Forest women’s basketball team. While working for the Demon Deacons, Yu broke down film for both the coaching staff and the players while also assisting with scouting reports.
Yu was the head student manager for the Louisville’s women’s basketball team for two years under head coach Jeff Walz. Yu helped facilitate their elite college level camp while assisting in the coordination of both official and unofficial visits for recruits. As he has done at every stop during his career, he assisted the operations staff by creating itineraries and securing reservations for flights and hotels as well as for the team’s international trip to Cuba.
Yu is a native of Midlothian, Virginia, and a graduate of the University of Louisville where he graduated cum laude in December of 2016 with a bachelor’s degree in Sport Administration.
