ead Coach Terri Williams of the Gardner-Webb University women’s basketball team has announced three additions to the program coaching staff ahead of the 2025-26 season, with former GWU standout Alasia Smith returning to Gardner-Webb, alongside RubyLee Wright and Madison Green
A former star player for the Runnin’ Bulldogs, Alaisa Smith returns to Gardner-Webb as an assistant coach and as the program’s new director of basketball operations.
Smith played collegiate basketball for Gardner-Webb from 2020-2023, winning Big South Freshman of The Year in 2020-21, and First Team All-Big South honors as a sophomore in 2021-22, where she scored more than 14.5 points per game for the Runnin’ Bulldogs. Smith helped lead GWU on a memorable run to the NCAA Tournament in 2022-23, scoring over 13.5 points per game and playing over 30 minutes per game on a Gardner-Webb team that became the first in Big South history, men’s or women’s to complete a 21-0 conference record. Smith took home Big South Conference Defensive Player of The Year and First Team All-Conference honors as the Runnin’ Bulldogs finished 29-5 overall.
Following her junior campaign, Smith then transferred to the University of Memphis under former Gardner-Webb head coach, Alex Simmons. In two seasons at Memphis, Smith broke several school records, including the mark for career rebounds with 553.
Originally from Johnson City, Tenn., Smith and earned her B.S. in Education and Sports Coaching from Memphis in December of 2024.
“I can honestly say, I am not the only one so happy to have Alasia back at Gardner-Webb” said Coach Williams. “She brings winning tradition and success to the GWU basketball program and knows what it looks like and what it takes to compete in the Big South Conference. I am very grateful to have Alasia come with the Runnin’ Bulldogs”
Wright joins the Gardner-Webb coaching staff as both an assistant coach and GWU women’s basketball’s new recruiting coordinator after spending the previous 2024-25 season as an assistant coach at Division II Wingate University in nearby Charlotte.
Wright previously had a standout career at Georgetown University under new Gardner-Webb head coach, Terri Williams, followed by over a decade of coaching at the AAU, high school, and the college level. Wright is Georgetown’s all-time and single season record holder in assists with 506 assists, helping the Hoyas reach the NCAA tournament on three occasions including a trip to the Sweet 16 in 2011. Wright previously scored over 2500 points during her career at Latta High School in South Carolina, collecting a pair of State Player of the Year accolades.
After earning her degree in sociology from Georgetown, Wright began her coaching career as the head coach of Team GBMS, an AAU team in Florence S.C. In addition, she became the assistant coach in her home town of Latta, SC at Latta High School in July of 2020, where she helped lead the team to a 20-win season. Wright moved to the college ranks in July of 2023, taking an assistant coach position at Trinity College in Darlington, S.C. where her duties included conducting practices and player development, along with assisting with the strength and conditioning programs and working with fundraising and sponsorship efforts.
“I am extremely excited to have Ruby on my coaching staff” said Coach Williams. “She has played in my system for 4 years and will be able to teach and instruct our philosophy on both sides of the court. As a former point guard herself, Ruby will coach our guards to orchestrate the team’s offense as well as be great vocal leaders”
Green joins the staff at Gardner-Webb as an assistant coach, following a four-year playing career and short student-assistant coaching stints at her alma mater, James Madison and Indiana University.
While at JMU, Green earned a B.S. in Justice Studies while helping lead the Dukes to a pair of 25-win campaigns as a player before later joining JMU’s staff as a student-assistant. The Dukes finished a 26-8 season and earned a share of the Sun Belt regular season title and a trip to the NCAA Tournament during Green’s time as a member of the coaching staff. Green then moved to Bloomington, recently completing her Master of Public Affairs at Indiana University while working as a Graduate Assistant for the IU women’s basketball program”
Madison brings a winning mentality and a desire to be excellent to our program” said Coach Williams. “She will be one of the young up and coming assistants in our profession and I am extremely excited to have Madison join our GWU family”
