ATLANTA (July 27, 2023) — The board of directors of the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association welcomed its newest members during the board’s annual in-person summer meeting which was held July 20 at the Atlanta Airport Marriott Gateway hotel.
University of North Carolina head coach Courtney Banghart presided over her first in-person board meeting as the WBCA’s new president. University of South Florida head coach Jose Fernandez is the association’s new vice president/president-elect. UCLA head coach Cori Close will serve on the board for two more years as immediate past president.
The seven new voting directors on the WBCA board are:
- NCAA Division I Coach Directors — Mike Neighbors, head coach, University of Arkansas, and Danielle O’Banion, head coach, Loyola University (Maryland).
- NCAA Division II Coach Director — Mike Brandt, head coach, Minot State University.
- NCAA Division III Coach Director — Carissa Sain, head coach, Illinois Institute of Technology.
- Scholastic Coach Director — Kathy Maguire-Stoudt, head coach, Rising Sun High School (Maryland).
- Assistant Coach Director — Steve Yang, assistant coach, California Baptist University.
- NCAA Division I Commissioner Director — Julie Roe Lach, commissioner, Horizon League.
University of Iowa professor Liz Hollingworth is the new faculty athletic representative to the board. Hollingworth was appointed by NCAA Division I FAR and is a nonvoting member.
All new voting directors with the exception of Roe Lach were selected to their positions by the board during a special meeting on June 7. Roe Lach was appointed by the NCAA Division I Collegiate Commissioner’s Association.
“Our 2023-24 WBCA Board of Directors is diverse, engaged, experienced and eager to address the challenges facing our association as we continue to navigate the post-pandemic world in which we live,” said WBCA Executive Director Danielle Donehew. “From determining how we can best continue to serve the membership effectively, efficiently and economically to identifying new revenue streams, the board is working hard to provide strategic vision and tactical direction to my staff and me as we together strive to ensure the continuing success of the association.”
During its July 20 meeting, the board:
- Reappointed Texas A&M University head coach Joni Taylor (NCAA Division I) and Hope College head coach Brian Morehouse (NCAA Division III) to the executive committee.
- Appointed University of West Florida head coach Stephanie Yelton (NCAA Division II) and Julie Roe Lach (athletic administrator) to the executive committee.
- Approved the association’s budget for the 2023-24 fiscal year which begins Sept. 1, 2023, and continues through Aug. 31, 2024.
- Authorized Donehew to move forward with exploring the feasibility of establishing multi-team events under the auspices of the WBCA. The initiative would increase the number of neutral site non-conference game opportunities which are limited in women’s basketball and be a supplemental revenue stream for the association.
- Received an update from Donehew on Coaches+, which is a joint initiative of the National Association of Basketball Coaches and the WBCA. Coaches+ created two women’s basketball documentaries that aired on CBS this year — “Dear Coach Stringer” about C. Vivian Stringer and her 1982 Cheyney State team and “Knew Me When” which highlights a few coaches and players.
- Heard a report from Donehew on Globl Jam which was July 7-16 in Toronto. The Louisville Cardinals and head coach Jeff Walz, who represented the WBCA and the United States in the international showcase, won the gold medal.
- Heard a presentation by NCAA Division I Coach Director Charmin Smith, head coach, University of California, Berkeley, on the “Race for Change” program — a nationwide 5K fundraiser originated by UC San Diego that promotes social justice — and outlined how other programs might participate. The board voted to support the program by creating a kit and promoting it to the membership.
- Recognized and heard a presentation by Tim Stoner, the WBCA’s first general counsel, on his involvement in the association’s founding and early years.
- Heard a presentation by Kay Yow Cancer Fund CEO Jenny Palmateer on the Fund’s activities and plans for the 2023-24 Play4Kay initiative. The Fund is the WBCA’s charity of choice.
- Discussed plans for the 2024 WBCA Convention in Cleveland.
Here is the complete 2023-24 WBCA Board of Directors roster:
OFFICERS
Courtney Banghart, head coach, University of North Carolina (president)
Jose Fernandez, head coach, University of South Florida (vice president)
Cori Close, head coach, UCLA (immediate past president)
Cheytoria Penny, director of campus life finance, Emory University (treasurer)
Danielle Donehew, executive director, WBCA (secretary)
DIRECTORS
Gene Hill, head coach, Georgia State University (NCAA Division I)
Mike Neighbors, head coach, University of Arkansas (NCAA Division I)
Danielle O’Banion, head coach, Loyola University, Maryland (NCAA Division I)
Charmin Smith, head coach, University of California, Berkeley (NCAA Division I)
Joni Taylor, head coach, Texas A&M University (NCAA Division I)
Mike Brandt, head coach, Minot State University (NCAA Division II)
Dave Slifer, head coach, University of Central Missouri (NCAA Division II)
Stephanie Yelton, head coach, University of West Florida (NCAA Division II)
Brian Morehouse, head coach, Hope College (NCAA Division III)
Carissa Sain, head coach, Illinois Institute of Technology (NCAA Division III)
Jessica Turner, head coach, Skidmore College (NCAA Division III)
Chris Nelson, head coach, Bethel University, Tennessee (NAIA)
Romeo Lagmay, head coach, Taft College (two-year college)
Kathy Maguire-Stoudt, head coach, Rising Sun High School, Maryland (scholastic)
Steve Yang, assistant coach, California Baptist University (assistant coaches)
Julie Roe Lach, commissioner, Horizon League (conference commissioners)
Jenn Strawley, director of athletics, Elon University (athletics administrators)
Kelly Black-Holmes, VP and associate general counsel, Warner Bros. Discovery (public sector)
Julie Eddleman, EVP, global chief commercial officer, Double Verify (public sector)
Debbie Spander, CEO, Insight Sports Advisors (public sector)
NONVOTING DIRECTORS
Carol Callan, president, FIBA Americas
Liz Hollingworth, professor/FAR, University of Iowa
Lynn Holzman, vice president, women’s basketball, NCAA
Binh Nguyen, director, academic and membership affairs, NCAA
About the WBCA
Founded in 1981, the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association is the professional association for coaches of women’s and girls’ basketball at all levels of competition. The WBCA offers educational resources that coaches need to help make themselves better leaders, teachers and mentors to their players; provides opportunities for coaches to connect with peers in the profession; serves as the unifying voice of a diverse community of coaches to the organizations that control the game; and celebrates those coaches, players and other individuals who excel each year and contribute to the advancement of the sport. Visit WBCA.org for more details about the association.
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