Utah Tech head women’s basketball coach JD Gustin announced three promotions within his coaching staff on Wednesday.
Gustin has elevated two of his assistants, Nicole Yazzie and Matt Thune, to associate head coach positions, while assistant coach Candace Thornton will also serve as the program’s new recruiting coordinator.
Yazzie, who had served as recruiting coordinator over the past two seasons, makes the move to associate head coach after seven years as an assistant with the Trailblazer program. She has played an integral part in the program’s rise during its NCAA Division I transition, which was highlighted by a 19-12 overall record this past season and a first round victory at the 2023 Western Athletic Conference tournament.
“Coach Yazzie has earned this promotion by good old fashioned hard work and loyalty to the team and university,” Gustin said. “Her devotion to our student-athletes over the years is unmatched and she has been relentless in her goal to be a top-level recruiter. She is terrific in game preparation and has really blossomed over the past couple of seasons in every aspect of what it takes to be a college basketball coach.”
Thune just completed his first season with the Trailblazer program and helped lead Utah Tech to a nine-win turnaround from a season ago. He came to UT after three seasons at Eastern Kentucky, the last two of which he also served as associate head coach.
“Coach Thune has demonstrated to be a tireless worker truly dedicated to each student-athlete,” Gustin noted. “He is a tremendous recruiter, excellent in game preparation, and has a positive energy and attitude in our daily work routine. Couple that with the experience he brings us from working at a number of other institutions and this promotion was an easy decision.”
Thornton also wrapped up her first season at Utah Tech, during which she played a vital role in the Trailblazers’ fifth-place finish in the WAC standings and the program’s first-ever D-I postseason victory last month. Thornton joined the Trailblazer program after serving as an assistant coach at the College of Idaho.
“In just her first year, it’s clear that Coach Thornton has a special talent for relationship building and specifically recruiting,” said Gustin. “She’s driven to be great at this job and I’m grateful she’s chosen to do it at Utah Tech.”
Utah Tech’s 19 wins this past season were the most in the program’s current NCAA Division-I transition, and is the highest win total during Coach Gustin’s seven-year tenure on the Trailblazer bench. The Trailblazers went 18-12 under Gustin in their final NCAA Division-II season in 2019-20, a year that also featured a conference tournament victory (65-60 vs. Western State – RMAC quarterfinal; 3/3/20).
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