Marking the beginning of a brand new period in UCF ladies’s basketball, Sytia Messer was named this system’s head coach Sunday night.
Messer comes from LSU the place she served as an affiliate head coach at LSU for the 2021-22 season below 2022 Related Press Nationwide Coach of the Yr Kim Mulkey.
Messer will likely be launched at a information convention at 2 p.m. Tuesday within the foyer of Addition Monetary Enviornment, UCF stated in a launch. The occasion is open to the general public, with doorways set to open at 1 p.m. based on the varsity.
Listed below are 5 issues to learn about UCF’s new coach:
She is aware of find out how to win on the most important levels
Because the Knights transition to the Huge 12 Convention no later than 2024, UCF ladies’s basketball will likely be led by a coach who’s been there earlier than and has gained a nationwide championship.
As an assistant coach on Mulkey’s workers at Baylor from 2013-21, Messer helped lead the Bears to eight Huge 12 regular-season championships, six convention event titles, an NCAA title in 2019 and 6 Elite 8 appearances.
Even in her time earlier than Baylor, Messer performed a key function as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator on Georgia Tech groups that gained not less than 21 video games in three straight years.
Reaching the Huge Dance 3 times in her six years at Georgia Tech, the Yellow Jackets superior to the second spherical of the NCAA event twice.
She will be able to recruit prime expertise and develop them
Messer is aware of a factor or two about recruiting a number of the finest highschool gamers within the nation.
She recruited Kalani Brown — a first-round and No. 7 total draft choose of the Los Angeles Sparks in 2019 — and Lauren Cox, who was the nation’s No 1 recruit out of Flower Mound Excessive College in Texas and the No. 3 total draft choose by the Indiana Fever within the 2020 WNBA Draft.
She additionally recruited and signed the 2021 Wade Award winner and Huge 12 Participant of the Yr NaLyssa Smith.
Not solely can she get the highest youngsters to campus, however she will additionally assist develop them into the professionals.
Throughout her time working with the backcourt at Baylor, the Girl Bears had 9 gamers chosen within the WNBA Draft, together with a pair of second-round picks in 2021.
In fact, working at a college like Baylor that frequently makes deep runs into the NCAA event will help on the recruiting path.
Messer may have her work lower out for her at UCF, however she shouldn’t have an issue recruiting whereas residing in Orlando the place prospects like Lake Highland Prep’s Nyla Harris — a three-time FHSAA Class 4A state champion and Sentinel Ladies All-Space Basketball Participant of the Yr — play highschool basketball.
She was a big-time participant in her heyday
Messer shined on the court docket all through her time at Arkansas, the place she helped the Razorbacks attain the NCAA Remaining 4 for the primary time in class historical past in 1998.
An SEC All-Freshman group choose in ‘96, Messer went on to turn out to be a two-time captain for Arkansas as a junior and senior earlier than she completed her profession with the Razorbacks ranked within the college’s prime 10 for factors (1,379) and rebounds (603).
It was the ‘98 event run that cemented her title in Arkansas historical past. Messer led her group twice in scoring throughout wins over Kansas (24 factors) and Duke (20) because the Razorbacks reached the Remaining 4.
Named MVP of the NCAA Championship West Regional, Messer helped Arkansas, a 9-seed that yr, turn out to be the primary unranked group within the trendy period to advance to the Remaining 4.
Inducted into the Razorbacks Corridor of Honor in 2018, Messer additionally helped Arkansas to the 1999 WNIT championship.
She has head coach expertise
Whereas most of her time as a coach has been spent as an assistant at Georgia Tech, Baylor and LSU, Messer served as the top coach at Tennessee Tech from 2009-12.
In her second season there, Messer led the Golden Eagles to the 2011 Ohio Valley Convention regular-season championship and was named the OVC Coach of the Yr.
That season, Tennessee Tech (23-8) superior to the OVC event championship sport after a five-year absence. The group reached the WNIT for the primary time since 2006 and simply the fourth time in class historical past.
Tennessee Tech reached the OVC event title sport for the second straight yr and performed within the WBI in her final yr.
She’s confronted UCF on the court docket earlier than
Though she’ll be formally launched Tuesday afternoon at UCF, Messer has been to the Orlando campus up to now.
Throughout the 2010 season, Messer and Tennessee Tech traveled to Orlando for a nonconference matchup with the Knights.
UCF, led by coach Joi Williams, gained 79-69 in the one assembly between the 2 packages.
Messer, after all, will likely be trying to win quite a lot of video games sooner or later at UCF.
E-mail Jason Beede at jbeede@orlandosentinel.com or comply with him on Twitter at @therealBeede.
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