Georgetown University Head Women’s Basketball Coach James Howard announced his assistant coaches on Friday. He has put together a talented and diverse group that includes a former Hoya.
“I am beyond excited about the coaching staff that we were able to put in place,” said Howard. “I consider this to be an outstanding cast of coaches, and all four of our new staff members have worked hard to build their career. My goal is to surround myself with the most talented, hardest working and well-connected coaches in the industry.”
Assistant Coach Niki Reid Geckeler
Niki Reid Geckeler (C’93) returns to Georgetown after an outstanding playing career and years coaching on the Hilltop. She comes to Georgetown from Towson University, where she was the head coach the past four seasons.
“Niki has been a dear friend to me for many years and she’s been in this business for a long time having success as a head coach,” said Howard. “She appreciates what makes Georgetown special and brings a resume as a strong recruiter and defensive-minded coach. Having her one seat down from me on the bench will have a profound and immediate impact on our program.”
At Towson, Reid Geckeler coached five All-Colonial Athletic Conference (CAA) players, three members of the CAA All-Academic team, two members of the CAA All-Defensive squad as well as having one player named to the CAA All-Rookie Team. Off the court, she developed partnerships with the Maryland National Guard and the team was very active in the Baltimore community. During her tenure at Towson, Coach Geckeler had four players sign professional contracts to continue their playing career overseas.
Reid Geckeler went to Towson from Howard University, where she had back-to-back 20-plus-win seasons and three postseason tournament appearances. Her associate head coach with the Bison was current Hoya coach James Howard.
Prior to Geckeler’s first season with the Bison in 2008-09, Howard won just four games. In 2011-12, Geckeler compiled a 24-9 mark, tying the program’s all-time record for wins in a season. She amassed 85 career wins at Howard, including 44 in her final two seasons alone. Under her guidance, the Bison earned their first ever preseason WNIT berth and went to the postseason WNIT twice (2011, 2012) and the 2013 Women’s Basketball Invitational (WBI). Those were the first three postseason bids in program history.
She coached the 2010 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Rookie of the Year and the 2011 MEAC Player of the Year, Saadia Doyle, as well as three first team all-league honorees. In her final two seasons, two of her players ranked in the top 15 and three ranked in the top 35 in the nation statistically, in points per game, assist/turnover ratio and assists per game. Her teams were in the top 15 in the country in scoring defense in 2012 (14th – 53.0 ppg) and 2013 (sixth – 50.3 ppg).
She had a 100 percent graduation rate and eight student-athletes earned spots on the MEAC All-Academic team. In addition seven players graduated magna cum laude.
Prior to her tenure at Howard, Geckeler served an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Georgetown (1996-2002; 2004-08) and as an assistant and associate head coach at Fordham (1995-96; 2002-04) where she coached a combined 11 conference all-academic team selections and one Rhodes Scholar finalist.
While at Georgetown, she signed the No. 6 recruiting class in the country in 2007-08 – a group that led the Hoyas to three NCAA Tournament berths. Reid Geckeler also guided Rebekkah Brunson, the BIG EAST Rookie of the Year in 2001, who plays for the WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx. Her 1999-2000 recruiting class was also ranked in the top 30. At Fordham, Geckeler signed a top 50 recruiting class in 2003-04.
Geckeler, a 1993 graduate of Georgetown with a bachelor’s degree in psychology, was a four-year starter at point guard for the Hoyas. She served as team captain and led Georgetown to the 1992-93 BIG EAST Conference co-championship and a berth in the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16. Geckeler finished her career as a Hoya ranked in the top 10 for 3-point field goals made, 3-point field-goal percentage, assists and games played.
Geckler is married to Timothy Geckeler, a former football player at Rutgers, and they have an eight-year old daughter, MaKenzie. She resides in Waldorf, Md.
Assistant Coach Andre Bolton
Andre Bolton comes to the Hilltop after spending the past five seasons at Bethune-Cookman University.
“Andre has an intense passion for the sport and brings great energy,” said Howard. “He has a vision to develop our student-athletes here at Georgetown. He is a winner on the court, while also possessing an excellent pulse on the student-athlete experience.”
The Wildcats earned back-to-back WNIT berths the past two seasons. This past year, Bethune-Cookman won the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) regular season crown and owned a 12-game winning streak, which was one of the longest in Division I. The squad’s defense also ranked eighth in the nation. Bolton coached four All-MEAC selections including the defensive player of the year Kailyn Williams, and the staff won MEAC Coaching Staff of the Year honors. Williams finished the season as the top shot blocker in Division I.
The season prior was record breaking as the Wildcats won their first-ever regular season MEAC title and earned the program’s first WNIT berth. Four players earned All-MEAC honors as well as Defensive and Coach Staff of the Year awards for B-CU.
Bolton joined Bethune-Cookman after seven seasons at Delaware State, where he served as the top assistant to Ed Davis, and was a major component in the development of five All-MEAC players and three MEAC All-Tournament Team players. While at DSU, he was the Lady Hornets’ recruiting and scheduling coordinator, taking a major role in guiding DSU to the 2007 MEAC Tournament Championship, the first in school history, giving Bolton his second trip to the NCAA Tournament. The team also ranked fifth in the nation in defense.
Bolton is no stranger to the Washington, D.C., region. He was an assistant coach at Howard University for five years. During his time with the Bison, he was instrumental in developing six MEAC All-Conference players and four MEAC All-Tournament players.
During his tenure at Howard, Bolton helped lead the Bison to the MEAC regular season and tournament championships during the 2000-01 season. Howard represented the league in the NCAA Tournament that season. The following year, Howard captured its second-consecutive MEAC regular season crown.
At Howard, Bolton helped to guide MEAC Player of the Year Andrea Gardner, selected by the Utah Starzz with the 27th pick of the 2002 WNBA draft.
Before his years at Howard, Bolton was an assistant coach for Hampton Roads Pro-Am in Virginia. From 1993-97, he was Summer Camp Commissioner at Christopher Newport University.
Bolton was a four-year basketball letterman at Christopher Newport where he was inducted into the CN Athletics Hall of Fame after graduating with a degree in business administration. He played professionally after his collegiate career in Sweden, Spain and Turkey from 1997 to 2000.
Bolton resides in Delaware and has a nine-year-old daughter, Janiah.
Assistant Coach Erin Dickerson
Erin Dickerson spent two seasons at Towson University, most recently as the associate head coach and recruiting coordinator.
“I believe Erin has a bright future in coaching and is well-prepared for this opportunity,” said Howard. “She has a great ability to identify and recruit high-level talent, and has shown the ability to connect with student-athletes on a more personal level. Her knowledge of the game and plethora of relationships throughout the country will help us immensely moving forward.” On the bench for the Tigers, Dickerson was responsible for the development of the guards and served as the defensive coordinator.
Dickerson played a key role in the Tigers becoming the first Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) squad to sweep James Madison during the regular season since 2012. Under her watch, senior guard Raven Bankston earned a pair of All-CAA accolades after ranking second in the league in scoring. She was also named to the CAA All-Defensive Team. For her efforts, she was named to the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Thirty Under 30 presented by Marriott Rewards® honorees for the 2016-17 season. The program was created to recognize 30 up-and-coming women’s basketball coaches age 30 and under at all levels of the game.
Prior to coming to Towson, Dickerson spent two years as an assistant at Illinois State. There she worked with the guards and helped recruit a junior college All-American and the 36th ranked point guard prospect in the nation. Dickerson also spent three years at La Salle as an assistant coach and served as the recruiting coordinator there for two of those three seasons. She began her coaching career at Furman.
The 2009 Northwestern graduate lettered all four years as a shooting guard in the Wildcat basketball program, seeing action in 112 games. As a senior she led Northwestern in three-point shooting, converting 35-of-96 (36.5%), finishing in the top 10 in the Big 10 Conference.
Dickerson resides in Virginia and has a two-year-old daughter, Lyla.
Director of Basketball Operations Steve Yang
Steve Yang comes to Georgetown from George Mason University where he was the director of basketball operations
“We are thrilled to add Steve to our staff as he comes to Georgetown with extensive experience,” said Howard. “His overall knowledge of the game, as well as organizational skills really stood out. He exemplifies high character and the core values that we strive for in this program.”
Since graduating from Missouri State in 2006, Yang’s career has included stops at his alma mater as well as Winthrop University and the University of Illinois-Springfield.
While in Springfield, Yang took over as the interim head coach after spending time as an assistant coach and community event coordinator. He was charged with scouting opponents as well as recruiting and player development.
Before Springfield, Yang spent the 2013-14 season as the director of operations at Winthrop University. The Eagles reached the NCAA Tournament and played Duke after winning their first ever Big South Conference Tournament championship. During his time with the Eagles, Yang was responsible for social media management, community relations and game-day operations in addition to travel and camp coordination.
His stint with Winthrop followed a season as the director of operations at Missouri State. Prior to his time with the Lady Bears, he spent four years at Evangel University as an assistant coach and video coordinator. Before that, he was an assistant on both the men’s and women’s basketball coaching staffs at McCook (Neb.) Community College for a year.
Yang also brings additional head coaching experience to Georgetown. He served as the boys varsity head coach at Miami School in Amoret, Mo.
Yang currently serves on the inaugural Women’s Basketball Coaches Association’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee. He is also the co-founder and currently serving as Vice President for the Asian Coaches Association, which features members from all levels of basketball.
Originally from Tulsa, Okla., Yang earned a Bachelor of Science in recreation and leisure studies from Missouri State in 2006. He followed that up with a Master of Science in administrative studies and sports management from MSU in 2010. Yang and his wife, Lisa, have two sons, Lincoln and Landon, and reside in Woodbridge, Va.
Photo Courtesy Georgetown Athletics
http://www.guhoyas.com/sports/w-baskbl/spec-rel/062217aaa.html
Tagged with: Big East Georgetown James Howard
