CSUN head women’s basketball coach Angie Ned has finalized her staff for the 2024-25 season with the hiring of Akilah Martin and Kayla Mokwuah as assistant coaches and Neil Holmes as director of basketball operations.
Martin spent this past season serving as an assistant coach at Saint Martin’s University in Lacey, Wash. Previously, she had a successful two-year stint as an assistant coach with Biola University from 2021-23, where she helped the women’s basketball team post its most wins over a two-year period since joining the PacWest Conference with a 32-25 overall record and 26-14 conference mark. Martin began her coaching career as an assistant at JSerra Catholic High School, spending two seasons with the Lions and helping lead the team to the CIF playoffs in their first year in Division 1A along with posting winning seasons in the Trinity League. In addition, Martin coached AAU basketball in Southern California with the Cal Sparks program.
Martin has Big West experience as a collegiate basketball player with UC Riverside. She was a four-year letterwinner with the Highlanders, playing a total of 118 games with 28 starts as she totaled 515 points and 212 assists for her career. Martin would help lead UCR to a 23-win season along with a Big West regular season championship after going a perfect 16-0 in conference play. The Highlanders eventually participated in the WNIT that season. After her playing career, Martin spent two more seasons with the Highlanders as the program’s director of operations from 2016-18.
Martin earned her degree in Public Policy from UC Riverside in 2016 while she went on to earn a master’s degree in the same discipline with an emphasis in Social/Cultural Policy Impact.
“I am excited to welcome Akilah Martin back to the Big West Conference as a Matador!,” said Ned. “In 2015-16, Akilah helped her team win the Big West regular season championship with an impressive 16-0 record at UCR. Akilah is a highly motivated team player with strong recruiting ties on the west coast. Her championship mentality and compassion for others will greatly serve our student athletes.”
Mokwuah was a five-year Division I student-athlete from 2018-23, competing in 139 total games and scoring over 800 points. She began her collegiate playing career at George Washington, spending two seasons with the Colonials and averaging a career-high 8.2 points in 2019-20. Mokwuah would transfer to TCU and spend the next two seasons with the Horned Frogs before completing her collegiate career as a graduate student with Arizona State, starting 25 of 28 games. Off the court, Mokwuah was a representative of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee with Arizona State and TCU and spent time as a member of the TCU Athletics Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council from 2020-22.
Last year, Mokwuah worked with Amherst College Nike Camp, coaching Nike-sponsored youth basketball teams, emphasizing skill development and sportsmanship. Mokwuah has also worked with the Springfield Empowerment Zone Partnership as an educator with the Springfield Ballers Organization where she helped mentor and provide guidance to inner-city youth in Springfield, Mass.
Mokwuah graduated from TCU with a degree in Combined Science and a concentration in Biology and Psychology in 2022. She went on to earn a master’s degree from Arizona State in Healthcare Innovation in 2023.
“Kayla Mokwuah is a phenomenal talent that brings a high level of competitive experience from TCU and ASU,” said Ned. “Kayla will have a huge impact with developing our post players. Her basketball IQ, desire to grow, and selflessness are all valuable attributes that will support the program. Kayla has a bright future, and I am thrilled to have her on staff.”
Holmes brings to CSUN over 20 years of sports business experience, leading complex teams in sales and entertainment management. He has also worked for a decade in government affairs where he has consulted elected officials and companies with community development. Over the past year, Holmes has served as minority owner and president of operations of the Santa Ana Thunder of The Basketball League. Since 2016, he has served as a government affairs consultant for the Hutts Group, LLC, where he has cultivated and strengthen relationships with elected officials, political staff and civic community decision makers in Southern California. Holmes was also economic development manager and special assistant to Mayor Aja Brown in the City of Compton from 2013-16.
Holmes was as assistant varsity coach of the Marlborough School girls basketball team in Los Angeles from 2016-20, while he also was an assistant varsity coach at Polytechnic School in Pasadena in 2021. Holmes has worked for the Los Angeles Sparks as a youth basketball program director from 2013-16, overseeing all inner-city community basketball programming, while he held the director of ticketing and service position with the Sparks from 2012-13. Prior to the Sparks, Holmes was the team president of the NBA Development League’s New Mexico Thunderbirds in Rio Rancho, N.M. from 2010-12.
Holmes graduated from High Point University, earning a degree in Sports Management.
“Neil Holmes brings a wealth of knowledge in the area of business operations as his experience ranges from the WNBA, NBA, G-League and the Compton City Council,” said Ned. “His passion for athletics and his desire to excel will greatly support our program and CSUN as a collective. We’re excited to see Neil apply his experience and education to help grow the women’s basketball program.”
Along with Martin, Mokwuah and Holmes, Ned’s 2024-25 coaching staff also includes Nate Fripp who was previously announced as an assistant coach on June 7.
https://gomatadors.com/news/2024/7/11/csun-finalizes-womens-basketball-coaching-staff.aspx
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