With the newest additions to the USC Upstate coaching staff, head coach Jason Williams officially announces his 2022 women’s basketball staff Friday morning in preparation for the highly anticipated season. For his coaching staff, Williams adds Steven Rhodes as his associate head coach and Nicole Ambrose and Jennifer DeGraaf as his assistant coaches.
“I am extremely excited to take on this journey with these great people. I know we are all aligned in building kids up more than just basketball and working really hard to a winning culture here at USC Upstate. I cannot wait to hit the ground running with the amazing staff,” said Williams.
Rhodes joins USC Upstate with a sense of familiarity with the Big South Conference as he comes from North Carolina A&T. At N.C. A&T, Rhodes served as an assistant coach for the Aggies since August of 2020, helping lead the team to a MEAC Regular Season Championship in 2021, as well as to the MEAC Tournament Championship and an automatic qualifier into the NCAA Division I Tournament.
Prior to his time at N.C. A&T, Rhodes spent one year at Radford University as the assistant coach and recruiting coordinator. In 2020, he helped lead the team to a second-place finish in the Big South as well as implementing “family time” and an inaugural team retreat for bonding. While at Radford, Rhodes designed a yearlong calendar for recruit fliers and packets, signed a class of five incoming freshmen, coordinated all recruit visits and itineraries, and led weekly meetings to examine the program’s focus and evaluate direction.
Before his time in the Big South, Rhodes worked with Williams from 2017 to 2019 at Belmont Abbey College, acting as Williams’ assistant coach and recruiting coordinator. While at Belmont Abbey, Rhodes helped Williams push the team to a 67-22 record through three seasons, won a Conference Carolinas Regular Season Championship for the first time as a program in 18 years, and made a Conference Carolinas Tournament Championship for the first time as a program in 15 years. At Belmont Abbey, Rhodes established his “family time” program to promote the team and cultural building, developed scouting reports on paper, through film, and on the court, and acted as the liaison of academics, helping the team earn the highest GPA in program history and on campus (3.59).
Rhodes graduated from the University of North Carolina Wilmington first in 2014 with his Bachelor of Arts in Recreation, Sport Leadership, & Tourism Management and then in 2016 with his Master of Arts in Liberal Studies. While attending UNC Wilmington, Rhodes served as the head manager and graduate assistant for the women’s basketball team. In that role, Rhodes oversaw the team’s media and created social media content, designed flyers for camps, recruits, and specific players, developed team scouting reports, created individual workout plans, managed team practices, and assisted in camps and recruiting.
Ambrose joined the USC Upstate women’s basketball staff in July 2020. She helped Upstate finish the 2021-22 campaign with a Division I era (2007-pres.) record-tying 22 overall wins and 14 conference victories. With Ambrose’s contributions, the team also set a D1-era record for the longest winning streak for the program since 1997-98 (seven games).
In just two seasons directing skill development for the guards, Ambrose helped the Spartans receive two College Sports Madness Mid-Major awards and multiple postseason Big South All-Conference selections, including the 2021-22 Big South Freshman of the Year. In the classroom, Ambrose’s oversight has resulted in an average team GPA of 3.4 each semester. In 2021, Ambrose was recognized as a WBCA Thirty Under 30 honoree.
Prior to her time in Spartanburg, Ambrose spent three seasons as an assistant women’s basketball coach at Indiana University Southeast in New Albany, Ind. During her tenure, she coached the Grenadiers to their first-ever River States Conference West Division Championship and an appearance in the River States Conference Tournament Championship. During her time at IU Southeast, the Grenadiers compiled a 54-38 record while developing two All-RSC First Team and three All-RSC Second Team selections.
Ambrose spent four years as the manager of the University of Louisville’s women’s basketball program. During those four years, Ambrose accompanied the Cardinals to their two NCAA Sweet 16 appearances and to one NCAA National Championship Appearance. She graduated from Louisville in 2012 with her Bachelor of Science in Sports Administration and again in 2014 with a Master of Business Administration in Entrepreneurship. In 2019, Ambrose graduated from the University of the Cumberlands with a Master of Arts in Teaching.
DeGraaf comes to Upstate after working as the women’s basketball assistant coach and recruiting coordinator under Williams at Belmont Abbey College from July 2021-May 2022. While at Belmont Abbey, DeGraaf facilitated practices, put together scouting reports, coordinated away trips, and was the head coach for the developmental team. As the recruiting coordinator, DeGraaf oversaw all aspects of recruiting including official and unofficial visits, evaluation weekends, and recruitment calls. The highlight of DeGraaf’s time as a Crusader was signing Belmont Abbey’s first-ever McDonald’s All-American nominee.
Before her time at Belmont Abbey, DeGraaf was the Director of Basketball Operations for women’s basketball at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. In her role at UNC Wilmington, DeGraaf managed day-to-day operations, organized travel logistics for all team travel, assisted with the creation of the team budget, supervised the team managers and practice players, and developed a plan to execute Team, Elite, and Youth camps. DeGraaf also served as the Alumni and Seahawk Club Liaison.
DeGraaf played collegiately for the University of North Carolina Wilmington from 2015 to 2018 while she obtained her Bachelor of Art in Psychology and her Master of Arts in Teaching with a concentration in Physical Education and Health. During her time on the court, she was a two-year letter winner, selected to be the team captain, selected the Most Valuable Player, and selected to the North Carolina All-State Team. She also earned various accolades including being named to the Colonial Athletic Association All-Academic Team and being awarded the Colonial Athletic Association Commissioner’s Academic Award. Before her success at UNC Wilmington, DeGraaf played for Pennsylvania State University from 2013 to 2015 where she was a two-year letter winner, made the Big Ten All-Academic Team, won the Regular Season Big Ten Championship, and made an NCAA Sweet 16 appearance.
