Texas Tech women’s basketball head coach Krista Gerlich has announced two staff additions on Monday afternoon as Ketara Chapel and Jaida Williams join the Lady Raiders as assistant coaches.
“I am excited to announce our most recent additions to the coaching staff in Jaida Williams and Ketara Chapel,” Gerlich said. “Both bring a vast range of recruiting contacts and experience that will help us add high level talent to our roster. I’m impressed with their energy, ambition and work ethic to land players that not only perform on the court, but represent our core values in the Lady Raider program.”
Chapel enters her first season as an assistant coach with the Lady Raiders after spending the past four seasons as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator with the Auburn Tigers (2021-25). While at Auburn, Chapel coached four All-SEC players and 15 SEC Academic Honor Roll selections.
This past year, Chapel and the Tigers were defensively sound – ranking 28th nationally in turnovers forced per game with 19.90, making it three-straight seasons with a top-30 national ranking in turnovers forced. Chapel coached two All-SEC honorees in DeYona Gaston and Yuting Deng, while also coaching two players who averaged over 20+ points per games. Gaston, who scored 22.3 points per game, ranked 11th nationally in the category, while also ranking 17th in field goals (257) and 34th in field goal percentage (.543).
In her third season at Auburn (2023-24), Chapel helped the Tigers back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019 after posting a 20-12 overall record and 8-8 record in the SEC. In that same season, Auburn made it to the SEC Tournament semifinals and had a Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) All-American Honorable Mention and an All-SEC First Team selection in Honesty Scott-Grayson. The Tigers would double their win total from 2021 to 2022, then earned a WNIT bid in 2023 for their first postseason appearance in four years. In her first season, Chapel coached the Tigers to their first top-25 win since 1997 after downing the No. 4-ranked Tennessee Lady Vols by 10.
Prior to her stint at Auburn, Chapel served as the Coordinator of Player Development at the University of Texas in 2020-21, as the Longhorns advanced to the Elite Eight and put together a 21-10 record that season. She also served as a graduate assistant at Mississippi State for two seasons after playing four years with the Bulldogs.
As a player at Mississippi State (2013-17), Chapel aided the team to the WNIT quarterfinals her freshman year, then to the program’s first NCAA Tournament since 2010 the following season. As a junior, the Bulldogs advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament, then as a senior, she helped the team to its first ever Final Four. While there, Mississippi State upset UConn to advance to the finals in 2017. In her playing career, Chapel was a four-time SEC Academic Honor Roll member who appeared in 142 games and helped the Bulldogs to 111 victories.
A native of Temple, Texas, Chapel earned a bachelor’s degree in coaching and teaching in 2017 before earning a master’s degree in teaching – community college education in 2020, both from Mississippi State.
“Ketara is a rising star in this profession. Her playing experience under Vic Schaffer at Mississippi State, coupled with working on Johnnie Harris’ staff at Auburn gives her instant credibility with our players and fans,” Gerlich said. “In her young professional career, she has already coached and helped develop pros in the post position. Her passion and authenticity are genuine traits that help her attract the right players that we want to be Lady Raiders.”
Williams enters her first season as an assistant coach with the Lady Raiders after serving the 2024-25 season as the head coach of the Texas A&M International University Dustdevils. While at the helm of Texas A&M International, the Dustdevils ranked third in the Lone Star Conference with 18.25 turnovers forced per game and fourth in conference with 9.3 steals per game. Williams coached an All-LSC Honorable Mention selection in Josie Igherighe, who led the team with 12.8 points per game and 129 field goals made.
Prior to coaching at Texas A&M International, Williams served as an assistant coach for the Ole Miss Rebels from 2022-24. While at Ole Miss, Williams coached the team to 49 total wins and 23 wins in the SEC. In 2023-24, she aided Ole Miss to the team’s second-consecutive SEC Tournament semifinals and to the NCAA Tournament second round. In her first season with the Rebels, Ole Miss would reach the program’s 11th Sweet 16 after defeating 1-seeded Stanford. In addition, Williams coached three All-SEC honorees and six SEC All-Academic Team selections.
Before heading to Ole Miss, Williams spent nine seasons as the head coach for the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers, boasting 129 career wins with the program. While at Coastal Carolina, the Chants put up five seasons with 15+ wins, including a program record 25-4 season in 2019-20. In that year, the Chanticleers went 15-3 in the Sun Belt conference to finish second in the regular season. Named the Sun Belt Coach of the Year after that, Williams coached the Sun Belt’s leading scorer in DJ Williams, who averaged 19.4 points per game and was named the Sun Belt Player of the Year. In addition, Williams coached the Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year in Naheria Hamilton. The Chanticleers finished the season second in conference with 78.2 points per game and in scoring defense with 61.7 points per game allowed. Coastal Carolina also led the Sun Belt Conference in four team statistical categories and ranked second in nine other categories. In the 2018-19 season, Williams helped Coastal Carolina to its first postseason appearance in the Women’s Basketball Invitational (WBI) after reaching the Sun Belt conference quarterfinals.
Before her stint with the Chanticleers, Williams served as an assistant coach for Wake Forest (2012-13), UC Santa Barbara (2008-11) and South Florida (2006-08). She was also the Director of Operations at Iowa for the 2005-06 season. At Wake Forest, Williams contributed to the Demon Deacons’ top-20 recruiting class. She also helped UC Santa Barbara to a couple of Big West regular-season and tournament titles as well as an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2009 and a WNIT appearance in 2011. While with South Florida, she coached the Bulls to two WNIT berths and aided USF to a top-16 recruiting class.
Williams was a student-athlete at Cal Poly Pomona from 2002-05, helping the team to a 23-7 record as a senior and a place in the NCAA Division II Tournament Regional Final. A native of Miami, Williams graduated from Cal Poly Pomona in 2005 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism.
“Jaida has proven success at many different levels and regions across the country,” Gerlich said. “Her experience as a head coach while also assisting on SEC and ACC staffs gives her a perspective that will add to the overall success of our program. Jaida understands the importance in cultivating talent, building relationships and developing our players to their full potential.”
