< Previous38 University of Louisville n gocards.com BASKETBALL Coaching Staff Air Force 1-0 Alabama 1-0 Arizona State 1-0 Austin Peay 4-0 Ball State 4-0 Baylor 2-1 Bellarmine 1-0 Belmont 2-0 Boise State 3-0 Boston College 9-0 Bowling Green 1-0 Bradley 0-1 BYU 1-0 California 2-1 Central Arkansas 1-0 Central Florida 3-0 Central Michigan 3-1 Chattanooga 5-0 Cincinnati 11-1 Clemson 9-0 College of Charleston 2-0 Colorado 1-1 Connecticut 1-15 Coppin State 1-0 Dartmouth 1-0 Dayton 2-2 Delaware 1-0 DePaul 6-4 Duke 5-2 Eastern Kentucky 3-0 Evansville 2-0 Florida 1-0 Florida A&M 1-0 Florida State 5-7 Gardner Webb 1-0 Georgetown 4-2 Georgia Tech 8-0 Gonzaga 1-1 Grand Canyon 1-0 Hartford 2-1 Houston 3-1 Houston Baptist 1-0 Idaho 1-0 Indiana 1-0 Iowa 2-0 IPFW 2-0 IUPUI 3-0 Kansas State 1-0 Kentucky 7-6 Lafayette 2-0 Liberty 1-0 Loyola Chicago 1-0 LSU 3-0 Marist 2-1 Marquette 6-1 Maryland 1-3 Memphis 2-0 Mercer 1-0 Miami 6-1 Miami (Ohio) 2-0 Michigan 2-0 Michigan State 2-0 Middle Tennessee St. 5-1 Minnesota 0-1 Mississippi State 0-1 Mississippi Valley State 1-0 Missouri State 2-0 Morehead State 1-0 Murray State 3-0 Nebraska 2-0 Nevada 0-1 New Hampshire 2-0 North Carolina 8-1 NC State 8-3 Northern Iowa 1-0 Northern Kentucky 3-0 Northwestern 1-0 Notre Dame 7-14 Ohio 2-0 Ohio State 1-1 Oklahoma 2-0 Oklahoma State 1-0 Old Dominion 2-1 Oregon 3-0 Oregon State 3-0 Pittsburgh 19-2 Portland 2-0 Providence 5-1 Purdue 1-1 Quinnipiac 1-0 Robert Morris 1-0 Rutgers 7-3 Seton Hall 6-0 South Carolina 0-1 South Dakota State 2-0 South Florida 11-2 Southeast Missouri State 3-0 Southern Methodist 2-0 St. John’s 6-3 Syracuse 11-6 Stanford 1-1 Temple 2-0 Tennessee 2-2 Tennessee Martin 11-0 Tennessee State 3-0 Tennessee Tech 3-0 Texas A&M 1-1 Texas Arlington 1-0 Toledo 1-0 Utah 2-0 Valparaiso 3-0 Vanderbilt 3-0 Vermont 2-0 Villanova 8-0 Virginia 10-1 Virginia Tech 8-0 Wagner 1-0 Wake Forest 8-0 Washington State 2-0 West Virginia 2-4 Western Carolina 0-1 Western Kentucky 6-1 Wright State 1-0 Xavier 4-1 Total 385-108 Walz’s Record vs. Opponents No. Date Score 1 11/10/07 Louisville 81, Ball State 62 50 2/17/09 Louisville 89, St. John’s 60 100 11/22/11 Louisville 78, Austin Peay 60 150 11/11/13 Louisville 100, Quinnipiac 82 200 1/29/15 Louisville 78, Syracuse 58 250 1/15/17 Louisville 63, Miami 59 300 11/6/18 Louisville 102, Western Kentucky 80 350 1/23/20 Louisville 71, Virginia 56 Walz’s Milestone Collegiate Victories “Jeff Walz has established that the University of Lou- isville will be a force not only in the conference, but on the national stage as well. His relationship with his players and staff along with his energy and ability to recruit make Jeff Walz a special coach. I am tremen- dously proud of Coach Walz and look forward to even bigger and better things.” - Paul Sanderford, Former Nebraska and Western Kentucky Head Coach “I don’t think there’s anybody that I respect more for their coaching ability than Jeff. I don’t know that any- body does a better job day in and day out of getting their team ready to play than Jeff does.” - Geno Auriemma, Connecticut Head Coach “Jeff Walz is one of the bright coaches in the wom- en’s game. He is an elite recruiter who can mold talented individuals into great teams, who compete for championships every year. He clearly cares about the young women who play for him. I always enjoy trying to figure out what defensive schemes he has concocted for his opponents. He is enjoyable to be around and fun to cover.” - Rebecca Lobo, ESPN College Basketball Analyst “You won’t find a coach in the country more com- mitted to his program and passionate about winning than Jeff Walz. He isn’t afraid to think outside the box when it comes to unique game planning strategies, or creating effective techniques to motivate his play- ers. It’s been fun to watch Jeff take Louisville to new heights and he has done it while producing some of our game’s most exciting players.” - LaChina Robinson, ESPN College Basketball & WNBA Analyst “Some coaches are excellent recruiters; some are ex- cellent practice and preparation teachers, while oth- ers are strong in-game strategists. When you have all three attributes, your program is in position to win a national championship. Jeff Walz has all three at- tributes, is one of the top coaches in the game, and he’s the reason Louisville is positioned to compete for championships each season.” - Debbie Antonelli, ESPN College Basketball & WNBA Analyst What Others Are Saying About Coach Walzgocards.com n University of Louisville 39 BASKETBALL Coaching Staff COACHING RESPONSIBILITY: Associate Head Coach YEAR AT LOUISVILLE: 15th BIRTHDAY: April 14 EDUCATION: Bachelor’s Degree (Arizona State, ‘89); Master’s Degree (Hawaii, ‘92) HOMETOWN: Florence, Ore. FAMILY: Husband - Geoff; Son - Parker; Daughter - Cassidy ATHLETIC CAREER n Four-year letterwinner at Arizona State, serving as the Sun Devils’ captain during junior and senior seasons n Earned Pac-10 All-Academic honors in consecutive years (1987-88) COLLEGIATE COACHING CAREER 2012-Present: Louisville (associate head coach) 2007-12: Louisville (assistant coach) 2002-07: Vanderbilt (assistant coach) 2000-02: Oregon State (assistant coach) 1992-99: Oregon (assistant coach) 1991-92: Hawaii (graduate assistant coach) 1990-91: British Columbia (assistant coach) LOUISVILLE n Named the 2020-21 WBCA Assistant Coach of the Year. n Has aided UofL to 10 Sweet 16 appearances, six Elite Eight appearances, three Final Four appearances, including a pair of national championship contests n Served on the Cardinals’ staff since the hiring of head coach Jeff Walz, helping Louisville to an average of 27.5 wins per season and a 385-108 overall since the 2007 season. n Helped lead Cards to 26-4 record and its fourth straight ACC regular season title in 2020-21. Longest stretch of conference titles in program history. Reached No. 1 in Associated Press and USA Today polls follow- ing 16-0 start, which marked the first time in program history being ranked No. 1 in the coun- try. Advanced to the Elite Eight for the third consecutive season. n Helped lead UofL to 28-4 record and its third straight ACC regular season championship in 2019-20. Marked the program’s first ever outright ACC regular season title. Prior to this stretch, Louisville had never won consec- utive regular season conference titles. It also marked UofL’s first outright regular season confer- ence title since they won the Conference USA regular season championship in 2000-01. n Helped lead Cardinals to 32-4 record and its second straight ACC regular season championship in 2018-19, which marked the first time in program history that Louisville has won back-to-back regular season confer- ence titles. Advanced to the Elite Eight for the second consecutive season. n Helped produce a program-best 36-3 record in 2017-18 as UofL reached its third Final Four. Reached as high as No. 2 in Associated Press poll, which marked highest rating in school history at the time. Opened season with a 20-0 record, which marked best start and longest winning streak in program history. n Helped develop 12 of Louisville’s WNBA Draft picks, including first-round picks Angel McCoughtry (2009) and Shoni Schimmel (2014), Asia Durr (2019) and Jazmine Jones (2020). n Instrumental in recruiting, inking the No. 1 class of 2015 that featured three McDonald’s All-Americans; helped pen the No. 6 freshman class in 2016, No. 4 class in 2017 and No. 5 class in 2020. Aided in sign- ing the 12th-best recruiting class in 2008, followed by three-consecutive top 10 classes (2009, 2010 and 2011); the 2010 class was tabbed as No. 5. VANDERBILT n Helped establish the No. 1 recruiting class in 2003, which produced the No. 10 and No. 14 picks in the 2007 WNBA Draft; it was two of six WNBA Draft picks during tenure at school. n Assisted with the Commodores earning five-con- secutive trips to the NCAA Tournament, including a pair of Sweet 16 appearances. n Accelerated the Commodores to a pair of SEC Tournament titles and a top-25 ranking all five seasons. OREGON STATE n Played a pivotal role in the Beavers making their first postseason appearance in four years, earning a bid to the 1996 Women’s National Invitational Tournament. n Produced the Pac-10 Player of the Year, who also was a two-time All-American; shortly after was selected in the WNBA Draft. OREGON n Helped guide the Ducks to one of their most successful spans; the program compiled a 122-69 record, including six consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. n Aided in the program capturing a share of the 1998-99 Pac-10 regular-season title. HAWAII n Served as a graduate assistant on staff for two years, helping lead the program to a runner-up finish in the 1992 WNIT; the school achieved a pair of confer- ence championships in that two-year span. BRITISH COLUMBIA n Directed the program to the No. 6 national rank- ing and a trip to the regional playoffs. The Norman Family: Parker, Cassidy, Stephanie, Geoff Coaching HighlightsCOACHING RESPONSIBILITY: Associate Coach YEAR AT LOUISVILLE: 9th BIRTHDAY: October 5 EDUCATION: Bachelor’s Degree (Auburn, ‘03) HOMETOWN: Dalton, Ga. FAMILY: Wife - Meghan; Daughters – Reese, Rylee, Reagan ATHLETIC CAREER n Two-year letterman on the men’s basketball team at Southern Union State Community College COLLEGIATE COACHING CAREER 2017-Present: Louisville (associate coach) 2013-17: Louisville (assistant coach) 2009-13: Georgia Tech (assistant coach) 2007-09: Georgia Tech (video coordinator) 2005-07: Tulsa (assistant coach) 2003-05: Auburn (video coord./admin. asst.) 2000-03: Auburn (student coach) Coaching Highlights LOUISVILLE n Helped lead Cardinals to 237-43 record, a Final Four appearances in 2018, and six trips to the Sweet 16 in eight years with the team. Have won at least 26 games in each of his seven seasons. n Helped lead Cards to 26-4 record and its fourth straight ACC regular season title in 2020-21. Longest stretch of conference titles in program history. Reached No. 1 in Associated Press and USA Today polls follow- ing 16-0 start, which marked the first time in program history being ranked No. 1 in the country. Advanced to the Elite Eight for the third consecutive season. n Helped lead Louisville to a 28-4 record and its third straight ACC regular season championship in 2019-20. It marked the program’s first ever outright ACC regular season title. n Helped lead Cardinals to 32-4 record and its second straight ACC regular season championship in 2018-19, which marked the first time in program history that Louisville has won back-to-back regular season conference titles. Advanced to the Elite Eight for the second consecutive season. n Helped produce a program-best 36-3 record in 2017-18 as Louisville reached its third Final Four. Reached as high as No. 2 in Associated Press poll, which marked highest rating in school history at the time. Opened season with a 20-0 record, which marked best start and longest winning streak in program history n Helped guide Louisville to 33 wins and the NCAA Elite Eight in 2013-14, his first season with the program. n During his ten- ure, 10 players have been selected in the WNBA Draft, including six in the 2019 (Durr, Arica Carter, Sam Fueh- ring), 2020 (Jones, Kylee Shook) and 2021 drafts (Evans), which is tied for the most in the country. n Was instrumen- tal in signing Asia Durr, the nation’s No. 1 recruit in 2015, and helping compile the top-ranked recruit- ing class according to ESPN that year. n All eight signing classes that Purcell has helped recruit at Louisville have been ranked in the top 15 by ESPN, including the No. 1 class in 2015, No. 4 class in 2017, No. 6 class in 2016 and No. 8 class in 2014. Has helped recruit 13 of 15 McDonald’s All-Americans to attend the University of Louisville. GEORGIA TECH n Worked as the scouting coordinator and played a major role in signing top-25 classes during tenure, including a top-five group in 2012. n Aided with the signing of McDonald’s All- American and the No. 1 overall guard, according to espnW, Kaela Davis. n For six-consecutive seasons, helped direct school to at least 20 victories and an NCAA Tourna- ment appearance each year. n Helped lead Georgia Tech to a program-best No. 4 seed in the 2012 NCAA Tournament, which culminated with the school’s first Sweet 16. n Directed the school to a program-record No. 10 national ranking in the final ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll. TULSA n Played an integral role in helping forward Jil- lian Robbins attain All-America honorable mention accolades, Conference USA Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year merits. n Helped Tulsa capture its first Conference USA regular-season and tournament titles. AUBURN n Served in various capacities on the staff, while helping Auburn capture the 2003 WNIT champion- ship.The Purcell Family: Sam, Meghan, Rylee, Reese, Reagan 40 University of Louisville n gocards.com BASKETBALL Coaching Staffgocards.com n University of Louisville 41 BASKETBALL Coaching Staff COACHING RESPONSIBILITY: Asst. Coach YEAR AT UofL: 3rd BIRTHDAY: January 17 EDUCATION: Bachelor’s Degree (Georgia South- western State, ‘11); Master’s Degree (America Public University, ‘17) HOMETOWN: Atlanta, Ga. ATHLETIC CAREER n Played at Georgia Southwestern State Univer- sity, where she received the Peach Belt Conference Scholar Athlete award in 2010, served as team captain, and was named to the Athletic Director Honor Roll and Peach Belt Conference Presidential Honor Roll. COLLEGIATE COACHING CAREER 2019-Present: Louisville (assistant coach) 2013-19: Georgia Tech (assistant coach, video coordinator, graduate manager) Coaching Highlights LOUISVILLE n Named to the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) 2020 30-Under-30 list. n Helped lead Cards to 26-4 record and its fourth straight ACC regular season title in 2020-21. Longest stretch of conference titles in program history. Reached No. 1 in Associated Press and USA Today polls follow- ing 16-0 start, which marked the first time in program history being ranked No. 1 in the country. Advanced to the Elite Eight for the third consecutive season. n In 2019-20, her first season at Louisville, she helped lead Louisville to a 28-4 record and its third straight ACC regular season championship. n Played a pivotal role in the development of Jazmine Jones, who became just the fourth player in program history to be selected in the first round of the WNBA Draft when she was picked with the 12 overall pick by the New York Liberty in the 2020 Draft. n Worked closely with Dana Evans who became the second player in program history to be named the conference player of the year multiple times, joining Asia Durr. As a junior, she became the first player in ACC history to be named ACC Player of the Year after being named Sixth Player of the Year the previous sea- son. She is the third WBCA All-American in program history, joining Durr and Angel McCoughtry. GEORGIA TECH n Spent six seasons at Georgia Tech, serving the final two seasons as an assistant coach. In her six seasons, she helped lead the Yellow Jackets to five 20-win seasons, one NCAA Tournament appear- ance, four appearances in the WNIT, including a trip to the 2017 WNIT championship. n In 2017-18, her first season as an assistant coach, she helped lead Georgia Tech to a 20-14 record and an appearance in the WNIT quarterfinals. She also assisted in recruiting the 2018 signing class which ranked No. 10 in the nation. PRE-COLLEGIATE CAREER n In 2014-15, she served as an assistant coach with the FBC Southeast Elite basketball program, where she helped develop some of the best players in the country. K ate Tucker, entering her 14th year at the University of Lou- isville, is in her eighth season as the women’s basketball director of operations. She is pri- marily tasked with coor- dinating the team’s travel and equipment needs in addition to team camps. Tucker joined the Cardinals’ staff after serving four years in the compliance office as the compli- ance coordinator. Tucker primarily assisted Louisville’s student-athletes with financial aid needs in addition to coordinating all of their housing arrangements. While with the compliance office, she oversaw the student-athlete opportunity fund, which includes insurance needs for student-athletes, along with monitoring student-athlete employment. The staff sponsor for SAAC (student-athlete advisory commit- tee), Tucker’s job also encompassed assisting with game-day operations, helping with rules education and interpretations Prior to that position, Tucker worked from 2009- 11 in the athletic ticket office, where she managed student tickets for football and men’s and women’s basketball. On game days, she assisted with ticket management. Tucker first started working in Louisville athletics while in graduate school. She spent one year in the Cardinal Athletic Fund, the department’s devel- opment arm, aiding with special events and annual fund events. A Shelbyville, Ky., native, Tucker was a three-year letter- winner on the women’s tennis team at Georgetown College. She was elected team captain as a junior and earned a spot on the all-conference aca- demic team. She also was a member of the Sigma Kappa sorority. Tucker, who resides in Shelbyville, graduated from Georgetown cum laude in 2007 with a bachelor’s degree in communication. She earned her master’s degree from Louisville in sport administration in 2009. She is married to Jeremy Tucker and they have two sons, Joseph David (JD) and Jack. Director of Basketball Operations | Eighth Season The Tucker Family: Kate, Jeremy, JD and Jack42 University of Louisville n gocards.com BASKETBALL Coaching Staff B eth Burns is in her fifth season with Louisville women’s bas- ketball and her fourth as Associate Strength & Conditioning Coach. Burns has worked the last 30-plus years as a collegiate basketball coach, most recently as the associate head coach of the women’s basketball team at Southern California from 2014 to 2017. She came to USC following an impressive career at San Diego State, where she is the winningest coach in program history. During her stint with the Aztecs, every student-athlete who competed for four years graduated from college and played in the NCAA Tournament. Burns came to Louisville with 21 years of NCAA Division 1 head coaching experience, earning six con- ference and two regional Coach of the Year awards. Her teams have made eight NCAA appearances, including a trip to the Sweet 16 in 2010. She led her team to nine 20-plus win seasons, six conference championships and seven players were selected as All-Americans. In addition, she served two stints on the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Board of Directors and was a member of the USA Basketball Olympic Team Selection Committee from 1997 to 2000. Burns also currently sits on the Kay Yow Can- cer Fund Board of Directors. She is also a committed fitness coach and consultant, obtaining her National Strength and Con- ditioning Association (NSCA) Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) certification in 2004, and recently became a TRX Suspension Training Certified Coach. Burns received her B.A. in Health and Physical Education from Ohio Wesleyan University and was inducted into the OWU Athletic Hall of Fame. She received her M.A. in Physical Education from Ohio State University. She is a native of Chatham, New Jersey. Associate Strength and Conditioning Coach | Fifth Season A drienne John- son is in her 16th year at the Univer- sity of Louisville and her eighth season as the women’s basketball pro- gram’s executive direc- tor for player relations. Johnson is involved in numerous facets within the program. She works as the liaison between the coaching staff and academic sup- port system, helping set semester goals for each student-athlete and oversee player and professional development, facilitating learning opportunities that include guest speakers to further educate student- athletes on subjects they will encounter beyond college. In addition to these areas, she has been critical to the fundraising endeavors for the program. Johnson also assists with on-campus recruiting, community service and marketing efforts, while serving as the analyst for the Louisville women’s basketball radio broadcasts. Previously, Johnson served as women’s basket- ball’s and the athletic department’s outreach coor- dinator for five years before overtaking the position of executive director of operations for the women’s basketball team. A Louisville native, Johnson came to Louisville after playing for eight seasons in the WNBA. She began her WNBA career during the league’s inaugu- ral year with the Cleveland Rockers in 1997 before being taken eighth overall by the Orlando Miracle in the 1999 expansion draft. Johnson spent four seasons with the Miracle franchise before they moved to Connecticut in January of 2003 to become the Connecticut Sun. She played for the Sun for two seasons and then signed as a free agent with the Seattle Storm in March of 2005. Johnson played in 181 games in her WNBA career with 38 starts. She totaled 1,018 points, 292 rebounds, 132 assists, and 73 steals. She also earned the WNBA’s first Hometown Hero Award for her community service during the 2000 offseason. A 1997 Ohio State graduate, she earned her bachelor’s degree in exercise physiology. Johnson recorded more than 1,000 points in her collegiate career, averaging 13.0 points and 3.1 assists in her senior campaign. The Butler High graduate earned all-Big Ten honors as a senior with the Buckeyes. Executive Director/Player Relations | 16th Seasongocards.com n University of Louisville 43 BASKETBALL Women’s Basketball Support Staff Yoshi Saito Associate Athletic Trainer Y oshi Saito joined the University of Louisville sports medicine staff in 2019 as an assistant athletic train- er. After spending the 2019 season as the lead trainer for women’s lacrosse, he is now entering his second season as the trainer for the women’s basketball team. Prior to joining the women’s lacrosse staff, he spent one season at the Univer- sity of Louisville as the seasonal athletic trainer for both baseball and men’s golf. As an athletic trainer, he is the primary individual responsible for the overall healthcare of student athletes and daily team activities. He coordinates with team physicians and in-house physical therapists regarding athletes’ plans of care. He has worked with international students from five different countries. Prior to coming to Louisville, he spent two seasons at the University of Toledo as a graduate assistant athletic trainer for baseball. Rhen Vail Head Strength & Conditioning Coach R hen Vail joined the University of Louisville as the head strength & conditioning coach for the women’s basketball program in the fall of 2021. Vail oversees the year-round strength training and conditioning program for the women’s basketball program. Vail came to Louisville from the University of Pittsburgh, where he served as the head strength & conditioning coach for their women’s basketball program starting in the summer of 2018. Before coming to Pitt, Vail began working at Kent State in 2011 and served as the head basketball sports performance coach for the men’s and women’s teams from 2016-2018. Vail earned a master’s degree in sport and recreation manage- ment from Kent State in 2013. Vail graduated from Ohio State University with an undergraduate degree in exercise science in 2011. He was a strength & conditioning intern for the football team for three seasons. Chris May Women’s Basketball Academic Advisor C hris May, who is in his 17th year with UofL athletics, is entering his 13th year overseeing the academic support system for the women’s basketball program. Now in his eighth year as associate director for academic services, he also serves as the office business manager and handles daily operational duties for the Olga S. Peers Academic Center. During his time at UofL, May has helped with the academic support for numer- ous athletic programs, including football and men’s basketball. Prior to working full-time with women’s basketball, he was the academic counselor for men’s and women’s swimming and diving, men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s track and field, and women’s tennis. Earlier in his tenure, he worked for the Cardinal Athletic Fund in helping with major gift development. A Louisville native and graduate of Saint Xavier High School, May earned his Bachelor of Arts in political science in 2003 and Master of Science in sport admin- istration in 2005 from Louisville. He is a member of the National Association of Academic Advisors for Athletics (N4A) and completed the N4A Professional Development Institute - New Practitioner Track in 2009. Chris and his wife, Greta, have two boys, Lawson and Duncan. L aMont Russell, a former Division I men’s bas- ketball player, is in his sixth year as the video coordi- nator and graphic designer for the women’s basketball program. Russell is responsible for all aspects of video, including video breakdown and exchange, and assisting in recruiting and player development through film. He also manages male practice players, creates content and graphics for both social media and recruiting, serves as the mar- keting liaison and assists with official and unofficial campus visits. Russell came to Louisville after spending the 2015-16 season as a graduate assistant with the Wichita State women’s basketball staff. At Wichita State, he assisted with the day-to-day operations, assisted the coaching staff with recruit- ing tasks, game statistics, video operations, travel, social media outreach, and more. His staff duties included leading the team in dynamic stretch- ing prior to games and practices, organizing the scout team, assisting the coaches in player and team development and assisting with game day preparation. He spent the 2014-15 season as an assistant coach for the Hesston College women’s basketball team. As an assistant coach, he planned and oper- ated player and team development, conducted conditioning programs, assisted with practice and game preparations, including game day strategies, developed and presented opponent’s scouting reports and was involved with recruiting and player evaluations. He graduated from Southeast Missouri State in 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts and a minor in graphic design. In 2020, he graduated from Wichita State with a Master’s Degree in sports management. He was a two-year starter for the Redhawks bas- ketball team. Prior to playing at Southeast Missouri, he attended Hesston College where he was named third-team NJCAA All-American after averaging 17.5 points and 10.9 rebounds. After college, he played professionally in Switzerland for the Basketball Club of Kusnacht Erlenbach. Video Coordinator/Graphic Design | Sixth Season44 University of Louisville n gocards.com BASKETBALL Women’s Basketball Support Staff Amy Calabrese Senior Woman Administrator A my Calabrese, a former UofL student-athlete and member of the UofL staff since 2007, was elevated to Associate Athletic Director in July 2019. She had served as Assistant Athletic Director for six years. Calabrese operated as Director of Student-Athlete Development at UofL from May of 2010 until accepting her current role. Her duties have included developing and implementing UofL’s life skills program for student- athletes, including leadership development, educational programming and career education. She has had oversight for the UofL Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, managed the department’s Performance Team, which provides support and mental health resources for student-athletes, managed multiple events, and implemented a senior seminar program and leadership groups. She worked nearly three years as assistant director of student-athlete develop- ment and championships from 2007-10. In that role, she aided UofL’s efforts in serving as host for conference and NCAA championships, event management, community outreach projects and life skills program. Calabrese joined the UofL staff as a graduate assistant in development in 2007. She assisted the Cardinal Athletic Fund with its annual fund, event manage- ment, game-day donor areas and student-athlete scholarship program. She also worked briefly as an intern with US Paralympics at the US Olympic Committee and as a sales representative for the Louisville Bats Triple-A baseball team. Calabrese was a four-year letter winner for the Cardinals’ soccer team from 2003-06, earning Academic All-America honors as a junior and senior. She started all 77 matches of her career, playing every minute of every game but one as a junior, as the Cardinals won 43 games over her four years. A team captain her last two years, she was an All-Conference USA third-team selection as a sophomore. She earned her bachelor’s degree in sport administration with a minor in busi- ness administration from UofL in 2007 and went on to earn a master’s degree in business administration, also from UofL, in 2009. She is active in the community, serving as a “Big” with Big Brothers Big Sisters and is a former board member for Girls on the Run in Louisville. She is a graduate of Ignite Louisville and Leadership Louisville as well as a member of Women Leaders in College Sports. She and her husband Rich have two children, Jack and Colin. Vanessa Shannon Director of Mental Performance V anessa Shannon has been the Director of Mental Per- formance for the University of Louisville athletic depart- ment and Norton Sports Health since October 2015. Prior to moving to Louisville, Dr. Shannon spent two years at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. While at IMG, Dr. Shannon served as the Mental Conditioning Coach for the Girls’ Soccer and Basketball programs, coordinated Psychological Test Preparation for IMG’s NFL Combine Training Program, and served as a Vision Training Coach for the Acad- emy’s Major League Baseball Off-Season Training Program. While at IMG, Dr. Shan- non also served as the Mental Conditioning Coach for the University of Louisville Women’s Lacrosse and Women’s Soccer Programs. From 2008-2013, Dr. Shannon was an Assistant Professor of Sport and Exercise Psychology at West Virginia University. During her time at WVU, she also served as the Sport Psychology Consultant for the West Virginia University women’s soccer program and supervised sport psychology services for the swim- ming and diving, gymnastics, volleyball, and rowing programs. From 2005-2008, Dr. Shannon was the Department Chair of Exercise and Sport Sciences at Tennes- see Wesleyan University in Athens, Tenn., where she consulted with coaches and athletes within the athletic department. Dr. Shannon has been invited to speak at camps, clinics, classrooms, and conferences both nationally and internationally. In the Spring and Summers of 2010, 2011, and 2012, Dr. Shannon traveled to Lund and Halmstad Universi- ties in Sweden, Leipzig University in Germany, and Aarhus University in Den- mark, where she taught lectures and short courses on the psychology of injury, team dynamics, and careers transitions in sport as part of the European Masters in Sport and Exercise Psychology Erasmus Mundus Programme International Scholar Initiative. Dr. Shannon holds a PhD in Kinesiology, Recreation and Sports Studies with a specialization in Sport Psychology and a concentration in Counseling from the Uni- versity of Tennessee, Knoxville. She holds a MS in Kinesiology with an emphasis in Exercise Psychology from Kansas State University and BAs in Health and Human Performance and Psychology from Rice University. While at Rice University, Dr. Shannon was a member of the women’s volleyball team. Team Physicians Basketball Managers & Staff Dr. Jennifer Daily Dr. Katie Pohlgeers Jake Vincent Student Manager Brady Walz Student Manager Jack Mathew Operations Assistant Dr. Brittney Richardson Dr. Jonathan Newsom Trey Clark Student Manager Chloe Murphy Student Managergocards.com n University of Louisville 45 BASKETBALL Women’s Basketball Support Staff Kevin Aka Graphic Designer JB Allen Multimedia Content Producer Matt Banker Assoc. AD/NIL Ronee Baxter Director of Special Events Rachael Cosgrove Senior Director of Development Jason Bond Director of Technology/Stat Crew Zach Brooks Exec. Director of Development John Carns Senior Assoc. AD/ Compliance Marisa Carpenter Facility Operations Manager Laura Clemente Assoc. AD/Strategy and Innovation Adam Creech Photographer Michael Dudas Assoc. AD/ Development and Tickets Scott Flavell Asst. Director of Technology/Stat Crew Daniel Gossom Assoc. Director of Compliance Jen Hanson Asst. AD/Fan Experience Josh Heird Deputy Athletic Director Austin Hertzler Asst. Director of Marketing Russell Hill Asst. Business Manager Brent Lamkin Facility Operations Manager Marvin Mitchell Senior Assoc. AD/ Student Services and Diversity Alyssa Murphy Asst. AD/Student- Athlete Leadership Michael Ortman Assoc. AD/Facilities and Stadium Manager Neil Rohrer Asst. Director of Ticket Operations Amanda Roussin Asst. Director of Creative Communications Lauren Rust Asst. AD/ Compliance Carl Schmid Director of Digital Strategy Keith Schobert Director of Arena and Facility Operations Lauren Sharrock Director of Athletics Human Resources Amy Shoemaker Assoc. AD/ Administration Jeff Spoelker Asst. AD/Finance Matt Stebbins Assoc. Director/ Equipment Operations Lottie Stockwell Assoc. AD/ Marketing Tiffany White Assoc. Director of NutritionLouisville Cardinalsgocards.com n University of Louisville 47 BASKETBALL 2021-22 Roster No. Name Ht. Pos. Cl. Hometown/Previous School 44 Olivia Cochran 6-3 F So. Columbus, Ga./Carver 22 Liz Dixon 6-5 F Sr. Memphis, Tenn./Georgia Tech 21 Emily Engstler 6-1 F Sr. New York, N.Y./Syracuse 23 Chelsie Hall 5-7 G Gr. Boca Raton, Fla./Vanderbilt 11 Norika Konno 5-10 G Jr. Sendai, Japan/Seiwa 3 Alexia Mobley 6-2 F Fr. Reynoldsburg, Ohio/Reynoldsburg 0 Ramani Parker 6-4 F R-So. Fresno, Calif./Montverde Academy 5 Mykasa Robinson 5-7 G Sr. Ashland, Ky./Ashland Blazer 13 Merissah Russell 5-11 G So. Ottawa, Ontario/Cairine Wilson 45 Sydni Schetnan 6-5 F Fr. Sioux Falls, S.D./Washington HS 2 Ahlana Smith 5-9 G Sr. Charlotte, N.C./Gulf Coast State 14 Kianna Smith 6-0 G R-Sr. Moreno Valley, Calif./California 10 Hailey Van Lith 5-7 G So. Wenatchee, Wash./Cashmere 12 Payton Verhulst 6-1 G Fr. De Soto, Kan./Bishop Miege No. Name Ht. Pos. Cl. Hometown/Previous School 0 Ramani Parker 6-4 F R-So. Fresno, Calif./Montverde Academy 2 Ahlana Smith 5-9 G Sr. Charlotte, N.C./Gulf Coast State 3 Alexia Mobley 6-2 F Fr. Reynoldsburg, Ohio/Reynoldsburg 5 Mykasa Robinson 5-7 G Sr. Ashland, Ky./Ashland Blazer 10 Hailey Van Lith 5-7 G So. Wenatchee, Wash./Cashmere 11 Norika Konno 5-10 G Jr. Sendai, Japan/Seiwa 12 Payton Verhulst 6-1 G Fr. De Soto, Kan./Bishop Miege 13 Merissah Russell 5-11 G So. Ottawa, Ontario/Cairine Wilson 14 Kianna Smith 6-0 G R-Sr. Moreno Valley, Calif./California 21 Emily Engstler 6-1 F Sr. New York, N.Y./Syracuse 22 Liz Dixon 6-5 F Sr. Memphis, Tenn./Georgia Tech 23 Chelsie Hall 5-7 G Gr. Boca Raton, Fla./Vanderbilt 44 Olivia Cochran 6-3 F So. Columbus, Ga./Carver 45 Sydni Schetnan 6-5 F Fr. Sioux Falls, S.D./Washington HS Pronunciation Guide: Ramani (Rah-mah-nee), Ahlana (a-LAWN-uh), Mobley (MOW-blee), Mykasa (Mah-casa), Norika Konno (NO-rika Koh-NO), Verhulst (VUR-holst), Kianna (KEY-awna), Engstler (ENG-stlur), Schetnan (SHET-nan), Walz (Walls), Jonneshia Pineda (JO-nee-SHA PIN-ay-duh) Head Coach: Jeff Walz Associate Head Coach: Stephanie Norman Associate Coach: Sam Purcell Assistant Coach: Jonneshia Pineda Director of Operations: Kate Tucker Alphabetical Roster Numerical RosterNext >