The University of Texas-Pan American (UTPA) Department of Intercollegiate Athletics announced on Wednesday that Hannah Burleson, who was a student assistant at Lamar University under new Broncs head coach Larry Tidwell last season, is now a Broncs women’s basketball assistant coach.
This past season, Burleson helped the Cardinals to a 22-11 record (12-6 Southland) and a spot in the WBI (Women’s Basketball Invitational) Quarterfinals while working towards a master’s degree in educational administration.
“I’m very excited to be a part of the UTPA women’s basketball staff and work under Coach Tidwell. It is a privilege to work for someone, who is not only very knowledgeable about the game, but also extremely dedicated and passionate towards creating a winning program," Burleson said. " I have no doubt that UTPA women’s basketball will be a successful Division I program that will bring excitement, honor, and pride to the university and Rio Grande Valley.”
Burleson played two years of college basketball at Schreiner, where she started at guard for two years. As a sophomore in 2009-10, Burleson was named team captain and went on to lead the team in scoring with 9.4 points per game. The previous season, Burleson earned American Southwest Conference All-Freshmen Team honors after averaging 9.1 points per game.
Burleson excelled academically, earning Academic All-American Southwest Conference honors as a sophomore. She also earned a spot on the honor roll in the fall of 2008 and spring of 2009, as well as the dean’s list in the fall of 2009.
Burleson immediately showed her commitment to the community as well, founding the Schreiner Big Brothers/Big Sisters club and serving as a student ambassador.
Burleson transferred to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in 2011-12 to finish her bachelor of arts in communication studies. While there, she worked as an assistant to the women’s basketball sports information director while also providing play-by-play for the Islanders.
“Hannah will bring a lot of positive energy to our program as well as a work ethic that is second to none,” Tidwell said. “Her responsibilities will vary from recruiting, handling all aspects of team travel, and directing all of our community service projects. On the court, Hannah will be involved with guard play while concentrating on special situations and scouting reports.”
Although she has lived all over Texas and attended seven different school before college, Burleson identifies as being from South Texas, having attended Rockport-Fulton High School in Rockport before graduating from Nueces Canyon High School in Barksdale.
Burleson comes from a strong sports family.
Her father, Stuart, has been coaching high school sports, including football, girls’ basketball and track & field for 26 years and is currently the athletic director and football head coach at Kingsville Academy. Stuart is well known for his 1981-82 season as a high school senior, when, while at Greenwood High School in Midland, he was the 1A All-West Texas quarterback, led the basketball team to the state championship game, won the state championship in the high jump after clearing seven feet, and won the state championship in tennis singles. The track and tennis championships occurred within three hours of each other. His high jump was a 1A record for 21 years. Stuart earned a football and track scholarship at Kansas, but after a medical issue, he transferred to Howard Payne, where he was a two-sport All-American. He was inducted into the Howard Payne Sports Hall of Fame in 2011.
Her mother, Marla, also has extensive coaching experience, mostly recently as an assistant volleyball, girls’ basketball and track & field coach at Freer High School in 2011-12. She won eight state track & field and cross country championships as a coach at Rocksprings High School before moving on to Corpus Christi Carroll High School. She is currently an art teacher at Kingsville Academy.
Both of Burleson’s parents have also worked for Tidwell, as assistant coaches at Schulenberg High School in the late 1980s. It was Stuart’s first job out of college and Marla’s second.
Her sister, Haley, ran track and played basketball at Comache High School for her parents and spent that last two years attending Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. She is planning to transfer to UTPA for the fall semester.
Her uncle, Jason, played fullback, tight end and linebacker at the University of Texas from 1989 through 1992. He signed with the Indianapolis Colts in 1993, but due to an injury, never played in a regular season game.
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