Loyola New Orleans women’s basketball head coach Kellie Kennedy announced the final addition to her staff on Thursday, naming Sami Thomas as her full-time assistant coach and recruiting coordinator.
“I’m excited for this journey at Loyola and to be a part of the Wolf Pack community,” Thomas said. “This is a program that has sustained success year after year under Coach Kennedy and I am extremely grateful to her for giving me this opportunity to be a part of it. I can’t wait to give my best every day in hopes of leaving a lasting impact on this team and this University like I know they will for me.”
The announcement was the second of two moves made by Kennedy this summer, as Kaila Anderson was also announced as an assistant coach in June as well. Kennedy’s former assistant and recruiting coordinator, Kris Seigenthaler, was announced as Oklahoma City University’s new women’s basketball head coach earlier this summer.
“I am so excited about the addition of Sami to our program,” Kennedy said. “She is a young talent who will be a tremendous coach. Her skill development work has given her such a great foundation as well as given her the opportunity to develop so many basketball contacts in our state. Her drive and initiative are such terrific and unique qualities, and I am looking forward to her being part of the Wolf Pack.
Thomas has spent the last two-plus years as the owner of Optimal Basketball in Baton Rouge, where she executed marketing and management plans to promote her business, instructed individual and group basketball workout sessions, and built relationships with area athletes and coaches. She also implemented website and social media strategies, provided video services for clients, as well as coached and operated as the General Manager of an AAU team coached by Charlie Domino to help bolster her resume.
Thomas also was a Fellowship of Christian Athletes Field Representative for 12 schools in Austin, Texas, from September 2019 to January 2021. During that time, she also worked as the Hill Country Indoor Sports & Fitness guest services coordinator, basketball coach and G League Intern for the Austin Spurs. After her playing days at Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, Louisiana, Thomas started to gain professional experience by serving as an NBA skills trainer intern and a graduate assistant for the Lady Demons program.
To add to her experience, she trained players like UCONN stars Paige Buecker and Azzi Fudd, former Indiana Hoosier Nicole Cardano-Hillary, Greg Brown of the Portland Trailblazers and numerous young players in the state of Louisiana.
