Southern Illinois University women’s basketball coach Cindy Stein has announced the addition of Ashley Lona as the program’s Director of Basketball Operations.
As the director of basketball operations, Lona will be involved in all phases of the day-to-day operations of the women’s basketball office. Her responsibilities include making travel arrangements, organizing practice times, serving as a liaison with academics and marketing and assisting with alumni and community service events. She will also be the point person for Saluki women’s basketball’s High Five Club and will help with mentoring student-athletes.
“Ashley’s credentials jumped off the page during the interview process,” head coach Cindy Stein said. “Her experience working with all ages as well as her management skills that she developed as the general manager of a highly-successful gym were two of the first things that stood out. She also has both playing and coaching experience and an easy and outgoing personality that sealed the deal. We are very fortunate to get someone with her experience and we welcome Ashley and her husband, Eric, to our Saluki family.”
Lona comes to SIU after spending the last three years as a personal trainer, fitness advisor and general manager of Calibrate Sports Health in Littleton, Colorado. Prior to that, she spent three years working in the health care industry as a technician at a plasma collection center in Missoula, Montana.
Lona previously coached at Montana State University-Billings, where she served as a graduate assistant coach from 2011 to 2013. While on staff, she was directly involved with MSUB’s pre- and post-season conditioning program and directed the weight training program. Some of her additional duties included assisting with practice and game preparation, scouting, camps, team academics and individual player skill development. The Jackets compiled a 35-22 record in her two seasons on staff.
A native of Waconia, Minn., Lona attended Northern State University in Aberdeen, South Dakota. A 5-foot-10 guard, Lona spent three seasons on the Wolves basketball team and appeared in 20 games during her freshman and sophomore seasons before recurring knee injuries cut her playing career short. After graduating from Northern State in 2010, she spent a season as a volunteer assistant coach for the Wolves.
Lona earned her bachelor’s degree in marketing and administration with a minor in coaching from Northern State University in 2010 and received her master’s of science in exercise and sport leadership from Montana State University-Billings in 2013.
https://siusalukis.com/news/2019/6/21/lona-named-director-of-womens-basketball-operations.aspx
