Tamisha Augustin has joined the University of Minnesota women’s basketball coaching staff, head coachMarlene Stollings announced on Monday. Augustin assisted on Stollings’ VCU staff for one season before spending the past two years as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at UCF.
“Tamisha’s return to my staff will give the Gophers a competitive advantage in our recruiting efforts nationally,” Stollings said. “She is known for attracting top talent and will assume a critical role with recruiting, as well as other areas. Tamisha’s interpersonal skills and personality will be key assets in recruiting and developing our young Gophers. She is someone who will move the bar even higher for this Gopher program.”
The Golden Gophers’ newest assistant coach was part of one of VCU’s best seasons in program history in 2013-14. The Rams went 22-10, their sixth 20-win season ever, and earned a berth in the WNIT. Augustin was part of Stollings’ staff that saw VCU set program records of 75.8 points per game and 235 made 3-pointers.
At UCF, Augustin oversaw a stellar 2014-15 season for Zykira Lewis, who earned All-American Athletic Conference Second Team recognition, set a UCF season record with 86 3-pointers and averaged 18.9 points per game. Lewis became UCF’s first AAC Player of the Week. As recruiting coordinator, Augustin helped bring in a class which included two players who earned AAC Rookie of the Week honors in 2015-16. Additionally, Augustin signed the No. 31 ranked 2016 recruiting class according to Dan Olson’s Collegiate Girls Basketball Report.
Augustin spent the 2012-13 season at Marshall before joining the VCU staff. In her year with the Thundering Herd she signed a top-100 recruit.
As an assistant at South Carolina State from 2010-12, Augustin helped coach two all-conference selections in Whitney Wiley and Cabriel Duren. She also signed junior college All-American Brittany Cochran.
“I am humbled by the opportunity to reunite with Coach Marlene and her highly regarded coaching staff,” Augustin said. “The challenge of competing at an elite level in the Big Ten every night is thrilling. Coach Marlene has been able to return this program to national recognition in just two short years. It is an honor to be part of something special that is on the rise in women’s basketball. My excitement to be a Gopher is indescribable.”
Previously, during her time as an AAU coach, Augustin developed 12 future Division I basketball players. Augustin was the head coach of the 14U Boo Williams team. She also was the head coach of the Georgia Metro Nike Travel Team (2006-08). In addition to this, she coached boys’ Georgia high school teams at Henry County (2007-08) and Love Joy (2006-07). Augustin later returned to her hometown of Hampton, Virginia, where she guided Bethel High School’s varsity girls to a 15-win season in 2008-09.
Augustin went into coaching after a decorated collegiate playing career. Playing at Alabama A&M from 2002-06, she was a two-time All-SWAC shooting guard and a four-time captain. An injury ended Augustin’s subsequent professional playing career after she became the first American to play for KSC-Szekszard in Hungary.
Augustin graduated from Alabama A&M with a bachelor’s degree in biology in 2005. She earned a master’s degree in microbiology there in 2007, and would earn another master’s in education from Regent University in 2010.
http://www.gophersports.com/sports/w-baskbl/spec-rel/052316aaa.html
Photo Courtesy Minnesota Athletics
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