A Kentucky native who has already developed a winning career, Ashton Feldhaus, has been named Head Women’s Basketball Coach at Morehead State.
Feldhaus, a native of Richmond, Ky., is the 13th head coach in MSU program history. An introductory press conference is set for Noon ET on Thursday, March 27 in the South lobby of the Academic-Athletic Center. The public is invited.
“I am beyond thrilled and honored to return home to the state of Kentucky as head women’s basketball coach at Morehead State University. From the moment I arrived on campus, I was struck by the incredible people – administrators, coaches, support staff, and community,” she said. “I want to express my sincere appreciation to (President) Dr. (Jay) Morgan and Athletics Director Kelly Wells for their belief and trust in me to lead this program. Their vision for the future resonates with my own, and I am excited to work with them to take this program to new heights. I look forward to building something special and continuing to honor the rich tradition at MSU. I am excited work with our dedicated staff, student athletes and community to build a championship level program that our Eagle family is proud of.”
Feldhaus takes over the Eagle program following a 20-win campaign in her first and only season as head coach at Missouri Western in St. Joseph, Mo. The Griffons were a preseason No. 7 pick in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association but finished third and earned an at-large berth to the NCAA Division II tournament.
“We are beyond excited to welcome Ashton Feldhaus to Morehead State as the new leader of our women’s basketball program,” said Wells. “Our national search attracted an outstanding pool of candidates, but Ashton quickly set herself apart. She is a proven winner, an elite recruiter, and a rising star in the coaching profession. Her deep-rooted Kentucky ties, experience in the Ohio Valley Conference, and extensive network in both local and international basketball make her an ideal fit for our program. Ashton’s coaching pedigree, family legacy, and relentless drive for excellence align perfectly with the championship culture we are building at Morehead State. We are confident she will make an immediate impact and take our program to new heights.”
Feldhaus has earned status on the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) 30 Under 30 Class.
Feldhaus’ athletic pedigree runs deep in the Bluegrass State. Her father Allen was a standout at Eastern Kentucky and is currently the head boys’ basketball coach at Madison Central High School in Richmond. Her uncle Deron was a notable player at the University of Kentucky, while her uncle Willie was a member of the Morehead State men’s basketball program from 1984-85 through 1986-87. Ashton’s mother Karen is the head cheerleading coach at Madison Central.
Prior to taking the reins at Missouri Western, Feldhaus served five seasons as the top assistant and associate head coach for Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Fla.
She helped guide the Tritons to five straight Division II tournament appearances, most recently during a the 2023-24 season when Eckerd had a 20-12 campaign and won the Sunshine State Conference Tournament championship. The Tritons posted a 91-28 overall record during her five-year tenure.
She was instrumental in developing two all-conference selections in Octavia Loll (First-Team) and Zoe Richards (Second-Team). She also served as the team’s academic advisor as the Tritons ranked third nationally on the WBCA Academic Top 25 Honor Roll with a 3.78 GPA in the 2019-20 season.
In the 2021-22 season, as the program’s recruiting coordinator, she secured two all-conference selections in Lauryn Vieira – the SSC Defensive Player of the Year – and Sofia Persson who was Second-Team and All-Newcomer. She also was key in the development and coaching of the SSC Player of the Year, Maya Price.
During the 2022-23 season, she helped guide the program to monumental heights, including the sixth consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament and the program’s first Sweet 16 appearance. Eckerd ended the season at No. 9 in the WBCA Poll and reached a season-best No. 5 in November. The team set five single-season program records, while five players set single-season records and three career program records. She also helped guide Persson to WBCA Honorable Mention All-American, D2CCA All-Region, and SSC First-Team honors. She also aided Vieira to back-to-back SSC SSC Defensive Player of the Year accolades and Price to another First-Team All-SSC honor.
Feldhaus is also familiar with the Ohio Valley Conference. She was a student-athlete at UT Martin after transferring following a season at Butler.
Following her freshman year at Butler, Feldhaus transferred to UT Martin, missing two seasons due to the NCAA transfer rule and an injury. Feldhaus then earned Second-Team All-OVC honors and OVC All-Newcomer honors and was a six-time conference Newcomer of the Week while averaging 11.0 points and 5.1 rebounds per game in her first full season. As a senior, she also earned Second-Team All-OVC.
A standout high school player in the Bluegrass, she played for head coach Robert Cooksey at Madison Central High School. Feldhaus helped her team win four straight district championships (2010-13) and two region titles (2011, 2013). She was selected as a Kentucky All-Star after her junior and senior year. Feldhaus was a three-time All-District selection and a two-time All-Region honoree. She earned First-Team All-State honors as a senior.
Feldhaus earned her bachelor’s degree in communications and a Master’s Degree in family and consumer Science from UT Martin.
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