Memphis women’s basketball head coach Hana Haden announced Wednesday the completion of her first coaching staff at Memphis, with James Frey and Shanasa Sanders signing on as assistant coaches. Madison Cope is also joining the staff as director of basketball operations.
Frey comes to Memphis after three years as associate head coach at New Mexico State. In 2024-25, the Aggies reached the second round of the WNIT – their third-ever appearance in the competition – behind an 18-16 (10-8 C-USA) record.
“James has won over 300 games as a head coach, brings strong recruiting ties both in the United States and internationally, and has a great basketball mind,” said Haden. “His 30-plus years of coaching experience and relationship-building will be a great asset to our program.”
Frey assisted in the development of guard Molly Kaiser, the program’s first First Team All-CUSA player since 2019. With the help of Frey, Kaiser increased her scoring average by scored 14.9 points per game shooting a career-best 39.3% from beyond the arc.
For over a decade, Frey served as the athletic director and head women’s basketball coach at South Georgia Technical College. He built one of the top junior college programs in the nation, earning NJCAA Region 17 Coach of the Year honors seven times. Across 11 seasons, he produced a 306-61 overall record, a 164-22 conference mark, eight Southeast District Championships, six NJCAA Tournament Sweet 16 appearances and two NJCAA Elite Eight runs.
Before coaching at SGTC, Frey was an associate head coach and recruiting coordinator at the College of Costal Georgia for both their men’s and women’s basketball programs. He served in this role for 21 years and oversaw all duties associated with each of the programs.
Sanders joins Haden’s staff after competing against her in the Sun Belt as a co-associate head coach at Georgia State. Overseeing the guards, Sanders helped develop Mikyla Tolivert into a Third Team All-Sun Belt player in 2024-25 behind 15.5 points, 5.4 points and 2.5 assists per game.
“Shanasa is a fantastic addition to our program. She is a great connector, a relentless recruiter and is tremendous in player development,” said Haden. “She will be an invaluable resource to our student athletes both on and off the floor.”
Prior to her four-year stint at GSU, Sanders was an assistant coach at her alma mater Stetson, where she trained and developed 10 all-conference players. In 2021-22, she helped guide the Hatters to a 20-win campaign and an Atlantic Sun Conference semifinal appearance.
Sanders spent one season as a varsity assistant coach at Jean Ribault High School in Jacksonville, Florida, which won the 2017 FHSAA 6A state title. While there, Sanders helped coach McDonald’s All-American Rennia Davis who went on to get drafted ninth overall in the 2021 WNBA draft by the Minnesota Lynx.
A successful guard in her own right, Sanders began her collegiate playing career with two seasons at Cincinnati, highlighted by Big East All-Freshman honors. After transferring to Stetson, she earned all-conference honors as a senior while leading the Hatters to the 2013 Atlantic Sun title and a berth in the NCAA Tournament. She played three seasons professionally in Montenegro, the Czech Republic, Spain and Dubai from 2013-16.
A two-time graduate of Stetson, the Jacksonville native earned a bachelor’s degree in sport management and business in 2013 and received her master’s of business administration in 2021.
Cope joins the program as the director of basketball operations after two seasons in that position at Georgia Southern under Haden.
I couldn’t be more excited that Madison is joining us in Memphis,” said Haden. “Her commitment and work ethic are unmatched, and she will make an immediate, positive impact on our entire program.”
A native of Gastonia, North Carolina, Cope got her start at Western Carolina as a student manager for the women’s basketball team from 2021-23. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in computer information systems, she was promoted to director of basketball operations. She served in the position until July 2024 when she made the move to Statesboro.
The staff additions join the assistant coaching trio of Dee Anderson, Tiffany Conner and Dexter Jenkins, who joined Memphis in early April.
https://gotigersgo.com/news/2026/4/15/womens-basketball-completes-coaching-staff
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