ATLANTA (Feb. 14, 2024) — The Women’s Basketball Coaches Association announced today the class of participants in the 2024 WBCA Next Generation Institute — a high-level education program for experienced assistant coaches who aspire to become head coaches at the NCAA Division I, II and III levels.
Now in its second year, the Next Generation Institute curriculum focuses on the CEO attributes needed to lead a program and be a problem-solver in today’s ever-changing landscape of higher education and the enterprise of intercollegiate athletics.
“A college athletics team is a company, and the head coach is its CEO,” said WBCA Executive Director Danielle Donehew. “A head coach cannot only be a strategist and tactician in the sport. They must also be an inspirational leader, businessperson, communicator, marketer, visionary, and manager of people and resources. The Next Generation Institute challenges participants to put aside the X’s and O’s for a while and concentrate on understanding and developing those skills so that they are prepared to take the next step in their careers and become successful CEOs.”
Here are the participants for the 2024 WBCA Next Generation Institute:
| Name | Institution |
| Vanessa Abel | Duquesne |
| Matt Allen | Shippensburg |
| Jackie Alexander | East Tennessee State |
| Fitzroy Anthony | Miami |
| Michelle Bilek | Chicago |
| Mandi Carver | Fresno State |
| Courtney Davidson | Fordham |
| Alex Delanian | Hawaii |
| Erik DeRoo | Texas Tech |
| Clare Fitzpatrick | Massachusetts |
| Jamey Givens | Belmont |
| Darren Guensch | Missouri State |
| Sharay Hall | Rider |
| Joel Harrison | West Florida |
| Candice Hill | St. John’s |
| Jessica Jackson | Florida Atlantic |
| Cherie Lea | UNC-Wilmington |
| Megan Lueck | South Dakota State |
| Chandler McCabe | Central Florida |
| John McCray | Northern Kentucky |
| Megan Methven | Albany |
| Josh Petersen | Miami |
| Gavin Petersen | Utah |
| Steve Pogue | Stony Brook |
| Grace Ricafranca | Point Loma Nazarene |
| Sacha Santimano | Army West Point |
| Phil Sayers | Grand Valley State |
| Desma Thomas Bateast | Florida State |
| Cameron Tucker | Wyoming |
| Arielle Wideman | Toledo |
| Hailey Yohn | UNC-Wilmington |
| Richard Ziegler | Skidmore |
To be eligible for selection to participate in the program, a person must be a current WBCA member, must have at least five years’ experience as a college assistant coach, and must have been nominated by their head coach. Participants meet prior to (virtually), during (in person) and after (virtually) the WBCA Convention, which this year takes place April 4-7 in Cleveland.
About the WBCA
The Women’s Basketball Coaches Association is the professional association for coaches of women’s and girls’ basketball at all levels of competition. Founded in 1981, 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 coaches to those 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 www.WBCA.org for more details about the Association.
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