As Tulane University Athletics makes a move to the American Athletic Conference for the 2014-15 season, the Green Wave women’s basketball team will continue to have a familiar face at the helm as Director of Athletics Rick Dickson announced a contract extension of head coach Lisa Stockton through the 2018-19 campaign.

Stockton, who came Tulane prior to the 1994-95 season, just concluded her 20th season in Uptown New Orleans, where she has compiled an overall record of 416-204 to go with four regular-season conference titles, five league tournament crowns and 14 trips to the postseason. Her win total with the Green Wave is more than twice the amount of Tulane’s previous five head coaches in the 19 years before Stockton’s arrival.

"Lisa continues to set a standard of excellence as she enters her 21st season at the helm of our women’s basketball program," Dickson said. "As we move into elevated competition next season in the American Athletic Conference, I have no doubt Lisa will once again have her program competing for a conference title and postseason play."

The move to The American is the third league Stockton will coach in as head coach at Tulane. In her first season, the Green Wave were playing their final season in the now-defunct Metro Conference and Stockton led the team to a 19-10 record and the program’s first-ever trip to the NCAA Tournament.

In 19 years as a member of Conference USA, Stockton guided the Wave to a league-best 397 total victories and a 181-111 conference record. Along the way, Tulane posted 20-win seasons 12 times, advanced to the NCAA Tournament 10 times and earned bids to the WNIT on five occasions.

"I am very grateful for the opportunity to lead Tulane women’s basketball into a new era in the American Athletic Conference," Stockton said. "Because of the vision and leadership of Scott Cowen and Rick Dickson, this is a very exciting time for Tulane Athletics – especially Tulane basketball – as we start competition in one of the strongest conferences in the nation. With our new and updated facilities, increased television exposure and elevated game schedule, I truly believe that our women’s basketball program will rise to new heights."

All told, Stockton has been named conference Coach of the Year three times (Metro in 1995, C-USA in 2007 and 2010) and is one of seven active coaches to take a Top 60 academic institution as listed in U.S. News & World Report to at least 10 NCAA Tournaments.

Seventeen of her student-athletes have become members of Tulane’s 1,000-Point Club, claimed all-conference recognition 46 times – including 12 first-teamers – and All-America recognition on six occasions. Four of those players have since been elected into the Tulane Athletics Hall of Fame and five have gone on to play in the WNBA.

In addition to the exploits on the hardwood, Stockton’s teams have also excelled in the classroom as every four-year player has completed their degree. Forty-two student-athletes have earned C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll recognition a total of 93 times for holding GPAs of 3.2 or higher since the 1995-96 season, and eight players have earned C-USA Academic Medal honors on 14 occasions for maintaining at least a 3.75 GPA.

Stockton and the Green Wave join The American following a 2013-14 season that saw Tulane post a 20-11 overall record, finish fourth in C-USA with an 11-5 league mark and advance to WNIT. The team’s win total and trip to the WNIT marked the fifth consecutive season the Wave won at least 20 games and earned a postseason bid.

Four Green Wave student-athletes picked up individual honors last season, including point guard Jamie Kaplan who claimed honorable-mention All-America recognition from the Associated Press after setting a Tulane single-season record with 209 assists. In addition, Kaplan was named second-team All C-USA and All-Louisiana for her accomplishments on the court while claiming spots on the Capital One Academic All-District VI and C-USA All-Academic Team for her effort in the classroom.

Guard Danielle Blagg joined Kaplan on the all-conference and all-state teams, earning second-team All C-USA and third-team All-Louisiana recognition, forward Tiffany Dale was tabbed honorable-mention all-state, and guard Leslie Vorpahl garnered C-USA All-Freshman Team honors.

All told Tulane is scheduled to return 10 of 12 letterwinners from a year ago and those players combined to accounted for 97.9 percent of the offensive production (2083-of-2128 points), 98.7 percent of the rebounds (1258-of-1274 boards), 98.6 percent of the assists (494-of-501 dimes), 97.6 percent of the steals (247-of-253 thefts) and 98.5 percent of the blocked shots (129-of-131 swats) from the 2013-14 campaign.

In addition, forward Paije Hall is expected to return to form after missing her true freshman season with an Achilles injury while Tulane will welcome the talents of incoming freshmen Kolby Morgan (New Orleans, La./John Curtis Christian HS) and Caylah Cruickshank (Montreal, Quebec/Dawson College).

Tulane will officially become a member of the American Athletic Conference in July 1, 2014, when the Green Wave join previous C-USA members Cincinnati, East Carolina, Houston, Memphis, SMU, South Florida, Tulsa and UCF as well as Connecticut and Temple.