< Previous38 University of Louisville n gocards.com LOUISVILLE BASKETBALL Coaching Staff the 16th pick in the 2022 WNBA Draft. Jazmine Jones and forward Kylee Shook were selected in back-to-back picks by the New York Liberty in the 2020 WNBA Draft. Jones went 12th overall and was the final pick of the first round, while Shook went 13th. Asia Durr was selected second overall by the New York Liberty in the 2019 WNBA Draft and was later joined by Arica Carter, who went to the Phoenix Mercury with the 32nd pick, and Sam Fuehring, who went to the Washington Mystics with the 34th pick. With three players drafted in 2019, Louisville tied its program-record which was also set in 2014. Myi- sha Hines-Allen was drafted 19th overall by the Washington Mystics in the 2018 WNBA Draft. In 2014, Louisville had three players drafted with Shoni Schimmel (eighth), Antonita Slaughter (35th), and Asia Taylor (36th); Louisville’s three picks were the most from any school that season. Angel McCoughtry was selected first overall by Atlanta Dream in 2009 draft and Candyce Bing- ham was selected 39th in 2009 draft. n Coached Dana Evans to ACC Player of the Year and WBCA All-American accolades during the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons, joining Asia Durr as the only players to earn player of the year honors multiple times. She became the first player in ACC history (male or female) to win Player of the Year honors a year after winning ACC Sixth Player of the Year. Walz has coached the ACC Player of the Year in five of the past six seasons (Evans - 2020-21; 2019-20; Durr - 2018- 19; 2017-18; Hines-Allen - 2015-16). She is the fourth player in program history to earn a player of the year distinction, joining Durr, Hines-Allen and Angel McCoughtry (2006-07 Big East Player of the Year). She is third WBCA All-American in program history, joined by Durr and McCoughtry. n Piloted Asia Durr to ACC Player of the Year accolades for the 2017-18 and 2018-19 cam- paigns. She is the third player in program history to earn a player of the year distinction, joining Myisha Hines-Allen (2015-16 ACC Player of the Year) and Angel McCoughtry (2006-07 Big East Player of the Year). She is the first player in program history to earn player of the year honors multiple times. She was selected second overall by the New York Liberty in the 2019 WNBA Draft. n Named the 2008 WBCA Maggie Dixon Rookie Coach of the Year in his first season after leading the school to its first NCAA Sweet 16; that year, Louisville earned its first win over a top- five opponent (No. 4 Rutgers) in school history, then beat No. 16 West Virginia for consecutive wins over ranked opponents for the first time in school history. n Named USA Basketball National Coach of the Year after guiding the 2019 USA Basketball Women’s U19 National Team to a gold medal at the World Cup in Bangkok, Thailand. Also led the 2018 U18 team to a gold medal in Mexico City. Served as court coach for 2017 USA Bas- ketball National Team Training Camp. Served as U-23 National Team head coach during summer of 2017 and led team to 3-0 record at U24 Four Nations Tournament in Tokyo, Japan. Was on the 2014 staff for the USA Basketball Women’s U-18 National Team and worked as an assistant for the U.S. Women’s U-19 World Championship Team; both squads earned gold medals. n Guided the Cardinals to a 16-2 conference record in 2013-14 (AAC) and 2019-20 (ACC), setting the program record for most conference victories. Coached the program to a stellar 15-1 mark in ACC play in 2015-16 and 2017-18, the second-most wins in conference play in school history. n Has a proven track record for identifying talent, having signed multiple top-10 recruiting classes; inked the program’s highest-rated group in 2015 that was ranked first by ESPN; overall, Walz has signed 15 McDonald’s All-Americans. n Developed five of the most decorated play- ers in school history in Angel McCoughtry, Shoni Schimmel, Myisha Hines-Allen, Asia Durr and Dana Evans; all finished their careers as AP All- Americans. McCoughtry, Durr, Schimmel and Hines-Allen rank No. 1, 2, 3 and 4, respectively, on the career scoring list, while Evans ranks ninth all-time. n Directed McCoughtry to become the first pick in the 2009 WNBA Draft; she was the program’s first three-time State Farm WBCA All-American; she accumulated 2007 BIG EAST Player of the Year and 2009 BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year honors during her tenure along with 2009 Raleigh Regional Most Outstanding Player accolades. n Built an exciting brand of basketball that has seen Louisville rank in the top-five nationally in attendance each of the last 12 seasons; the Car- dinals have averaged more than 9,330 per game during that span. Does not include attendance figures from 2020-21 season that featured 15% capacity due to the pandemic. n Louisville boasts a 212-28 home record (88.3 winning percentage) with Walz at the helm. Since opening the KFC Yum! Center in 2010, the Cardinals boast a 181-18 (.910) record at home. The Cardinals set the record for home wins in 2013-14 (18-2), 2016-17 (18-2), and 2017-18 (18-1). In 2021-22, Louisville finished the season undefeated (16-0) at the KFC Yum! Center for the first time in program history. MARYLAND n Helped build Maryland into a national power during his tenure, with the Terrapins win- ning the 2006 national title; Maryland made four-consecutive appearances in the NCAA Tour- nament, advancing to at least the second round each time. MINNESOTA n UM went 22-8 in lone season with the program, culminating with a trip to the NCAA Tournament second round; the program went just 8-20 the season prior. NEBRASKA n Played a major role in Nebraska earning a then-school record three-consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament (1998-00); the Huskers totaled a pair of 20-plus win seasons. n Coached Nicole Kubik, the Los Angeles Sparks’ No. 1 pick in the 2000 WNBA Draft. WESTERN KENTUCKY n Helped the team earn an at-large bid to the 1997 NCAA Tournament. n Assisted Western Kentucky to a 22-9 record to earn a share of the Sun Belt regular-season title. The Walz Family: Jeff, Jacob, Lola, Lauren, Kaeley, and Lucy.gocards.com n University of Louisville 39 LOUISVILLE BASKETBALL Coaching Staff Air Force ................................1-0 Alabama .................................1-0 Albany ....................................1-0 Arizona ...................................0-1 Arizona State ..........................1-0 Austin Peay.............................4-0 Ball State ...............................4-0 Baylor .....................................2-1 Bellarmine ..............................3-0 Belmont .................................4-0 Boise State ..............................3-0 Boston College .....................13-0 Bowling Green .......................1-0 Bradley ...................................0-1 BYU .......................................1-0 California ...............................2-1 Cal Poly .................................1-0 Central Arkansas ....................1-0 Central Florida .......................3-0 Central Michigan ...................3-1 Chattanooga ...........................5-0 Cincinnati ............................12-1 Clemson ...............................11-0 College of Charleston .............2-0 Colorado ................................1-1 Colorado State .......................1-0 Connecticut .........................2-15 Coppin State ..........................1-0 Dartmouth .............................1-0 Dayton ...................................2-2 Delaware ................................1-0 DePaul ...................................7-4 Drake .....................................1-0 Duke ......................................6-3 Eastern Kentucky ...................4-0 Evansville ...............................2-0 Florida....................................1-0 Florida A&M .........................1-0 Florida State ...........................7-7 Gardner Webb ........................1-0 Georgetown ...........................4-2 Georgia Tech ........................10-0 Gonzaga .................................2-2 Grand Canyon .......................1-0 Hartford .................................2-1 Houston .................................3-1 Houston Baptist .....................1-0 Idaho ......................................1-0 Indiana ...................................1-0 Iowa .......................................2-1 IPFW ....................................2-0 IUPUI ....................................3-0 Kansas State ...........................1-0 Kentucky ................................9-6 Lafayette .................................2-0 Liberty ...................................1-0 Longwood ..............................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 ....................................8-2 Miami (Ohio) ........................2-0 Michigan ...............................4-0 Michigan State .......................2-0 Middle Tennessee St. ..............5-2 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 .......................9-2 NC State ................................8-5 Northern Iowa........................1-0 Northern Kentucky ................3-0 Northwestern .........................1-0 Notre Dame .......................10-16 Ohio ......................................2-0 Ohio State ..............................1-2 Oklahoma ..............................2-0 Oklahoma State ......................1-0 Old Dominion .......................2-1 Ole Miss .................................1-0 Oregon ...................................3-0 Oregon State ..........................3-0 Pittsburgh ............................23-2 Portland .................................2-0 Providence ..............................5-1 Purdue ...................................1-1 Quinnipiac .............................1-0 Robert Morris ........................1-0 Rutgers ...................................7-3 Seton Hall ..............................6-0 SIUE ......................................1-0 South Carolina .......................0-2 South Dakota State ................2-1 South Florida .......................11-2 Southeast Missouri State .........3-0 Southern Methodist ...............2-0 St. John’s ................................6-3 Syracuse ...............................15-6 Stanford .................................1-1 Temple ...................................2-0 Tennessee ...............................3-2 Tennessee Martin .................12-0 Tennessee State .......................3-0 Tennessee Tech .......................3-0 Texas ......................................2-0 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 ................................13-1 Virginia Tech ..........................9-2 Wagner ...................................1-0 Wake Forest ..........................10-1 Washington ............................1-0 Washington State ...................2-0 West Virginia .........................2-4 Western Carolina....................0-1 Western Kentucky ..................6-1 Wright State ...........................1-0 Xavier .....................................4-1 Total ...............................441-125 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 56 400 1/16/22 Louisville 63, Boston College 53 Walz’s Milestone Collegiate Victories “Jeff Walz has established that the University of Louisville 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 tremendously 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 anybody 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 women’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 al- ways 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 committed 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 players. 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 excellent prac- tice and preparation teachers, while others 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 attributes, is one of the top coaches in the game, and he’s the reason Louisville is positioned to compete for champion- ships each season.” - Debbie Antonelli, ESPN College Basketball & WNBA Analyst What Others Are Saying About Coach Walz40 University of Louisville n gocards.com LOUISVILLE BASKETBALL Coaching Staff COACHING RESPONSIBILITY: Associate Head Coach YEAR AT LOUISVILLE: 17th 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 con- secutive 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) Coaching Highlights LOUISVILLE n Named the 2020-21 WBCA Assistant Coach of the Year. n Has aided Louisville to 12 Sweet 16 appear- ances, eight Elite Eight appearances, four Final Four appearances, including a pair of national championship contests. n Served on the Cardinals’ staff since the hir- ing of head coach Jeff Walz, helping Louisville to an average of 27.6 wins per season and a 441- 125 overall since the 2007 season. n Helped the Cardinals to a 26-12 during the 2022-23 season and the Cardinals advanced to their fifth-straight Elite Eight appearance and eighth overall. They are the only team in the country to appear in each of the last five Elite Eights. The Cardinals have been to six-straight Sweet 16’s, the third-longest active streak in the country. The Cardinals eclipsed the 20-win mark for the 13th-straight season. The Cardinals also made the ACC Tournament Championship for the fourth time in program history. n Helped Louisville to a 29-5 record and a trip to the program’s fourth ever Final Four in 2021-22. UofL went 10-4 against AP Top 25 teams, which is the most AP Top 25 wins in pro- gram history. Their 16-2 mark in ACC play ties the most wins ever in conference play and they finished 16-0 at home marking the first time they have went undefeated at the KFC Yum! Center. 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 following 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 UofL to 28-4 record and its third straight ACC regular season champion- ship in 2019-20. Marked the program’s first ever outright ACC regular season title. Prior to this stretch, Louisville had never won consecutive regular season conference titles. It also marked UofL’s first outright regular season conference 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 cham- pionship 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 con- secutive 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 14 of Louisville’s WNBA Draft picks, including first-round picks Angel McCoughtry (2009) and Shoni Schimmel (2014), Asia Durr (2019, Jazmine Jones (2020) and Emily Engstler (2022). n Instrumental in recruiting, inking the No. 1 class of 2015 that featured three McDon- ald’s All-Americans; helped pen the No. 6 fresh- man class in 2016, No. 4 class in 2017 and No. 5 class in 2020. Aided in signing the 12th-best recruiting class in 2008, followed by three-consec- utive 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- consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament, includ- ing 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 fin- ish in the 1992 WNIT; the school achieved a pair of conference championships in that two-year span. BRITISH COLUMBIA n Directed the program to the No. 6 national ranking and a trip to the regional playoffs. The Norman Family: Parker, Cassidy, Stephanie, Geoffgocards.com n University of Louisville 41 LOUISVILLE BASKETBALL Coaching Staff COACHING RESPONSIBILITY: Associate Coach YEAR AT LOUISVILLE: 2nd BIRTHDAY: June 6 EDUCATION: Bachelor’s Degree (UCF, ‘07), Master’s Degree (Nova Southeastern University, ‘10) HOMETOWN: Greensboro, N.C. FAMILY: Wife - Tonya COLLEGIATE COACHING CAREER 2022-Present: Louisville (associate coach) 2021-22: Ole Miss (associate head coach) 2020-21: Ole Miss (assistant coach) 2014-19: Maryland (assistant coach) 2013-14: Kansas (assistant coach) Coaching Highlights LOUISVILLE n In his first season with the Cardinals in 2022- 23, he helped the Cardinals to a 26-12 record and the Cardinals advanced to their fifth-straight Elite Eight appearance and eighth overall. They are the only team in the country to appear in each of the last five Elite Eights. The Cardinals have been to six-straight Sweet 16’s, the third-longest active streak in the country. The Cardinals eclipsed the 20-win mark for the 13th- straight season and also made the ACC Tournament Championship for the fourth time in program history. OLE MISS n Robinson helped lead the Rebels to the WNIT Championship game in 2020-21 and a 23-9 record and the program’s first NCAA Tournament appearance in 15 seasons in 2021-22 n He was promoted to associate head coach prior to the 2021-22 season. n Robinson’s most notable pupil in his two seasons at Ole Miss was Honorable Mention All-American and First-Team All-SEC member Shakira Austin, who was selected third overall by the Washington Mystics in the 2022 WNBA draft. Austin played her first two seasons at Maryland, where Robinson was previously an assistant coach. MARYLAND n Prior to Ole Miss, Robinson was an assistant coach at Maryland. In his six seasons in College Park (2014-15 to 2019-20), Robinson helped lead the Ter- rapins to consistent success both in the Big Ten and on the national scene. n In his tenure, Maryland went 179-27 (.869) overall, 92-12 (.885) in Big Ten play, recorded three 30-win seasons, won five Big Ten regular season titles and four conference tournament titles. The Terrapins were equally successful in the postseason, earning five NCAA Tournament berths that yielded two Sweet 16 appearances and a trip to the 2015 Final Four. n On the recruiting end, Robinson helped the Terps sign the No. 1 recruiting class in 2016, the No. 4 class in 2017 and the No. 3 class in 2019. n Four Terrapins were drafted into the WNBA in Robinson’s six years, including Laurin Mincy (27th overall, 2015), Brene Moseley (21st overall, 2016), Shatori Walker-Kimbrough (sixth overall, 2017) and Brionna Jones (eighth overall, 2017). n In 2019-20, the Terrapins earned a record of 28-4, winning 17 straight games to end the regular season and the Big Ten Tournament title. They clinched a share of their fifth Big Ten championship in six years with a record of 16-2 in conference play. A program- record six Terrapins earned All-Big Ten honors. The Terps finished the season ranked No. 4 in the Associ- ated Press and RPI rankings, and were projected to be a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament that was ulti- mately cancelled due to the outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. n In 2018-19, the Terrapins went 29-5, winning 12 straight games to start the year – Including a dominant 85-61 win at No. 10 South Carolina in November. The Terps won 11 of 12 games to end the regular season and win their fourth Big Ten regular season title in five years. n Maryland won 30 games for the third straight season in 2016-17 and also won its third straight Big Ten regular season and tournament titles. After a Sweet Sixteen appearance, seniors Shatori Walker-Kimbrough and Brionna Jones were drafted sixth and eighth overall in the 2017 WNBA Draft. n The Terps continued their Big Ten dominance in 2015-16, winning 31 games and sweeping the Big Ten regular season and tournament titles. That year the Terrapins led the country – men’s and women’s teams – with their rebounding margin of +15.1 boards per game. n In Robinson’s first season at Maryland in 2014- 15, the Terrapins earned a record of 34-3 on the season and went a perfect 18-0 in Big Ten play – just the second time in history a team went 18-0 in conference games. The Terps capped the regular season off with their first Big Ten Tournament championship and won a program-record 24 straight games. Maryland earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament and beat Duke, then No. 2-seeded Tennessee to advance to its second consecutive Final Four. PERSONAL n Robinson was with Kansas during the 2013-14 season. Prior to his time in Lawrence, Robinson worked at Air Force and worked as the head instructor at one of the most elite basketball performance centers in the country, the EDGE Training Facility in Orlando. n Robinson served for five years as the assistant direc- tor and head instructor at the EDGE Training Facility, known as the premier training facility in the state of Flor- ida. Robinson helped manage daily basketball operations while performing individual and team skill development sessions, camps and clinics. His vast clientele ranged from beginning players to elite high school, college and profes- sional athletes in the NBA and European Leagues. n Robinson enslisted in the Air Force in 1996 and served more than eight years on active duty in the Air Force. While enlisted, he deployed on numerous tours of duty, including three tours in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom, spending time as a Weapons Load Crew member on F-16s, as well as Special Operations Senior Command Post Controller. n During his military career, Robinson received various medals and was awarded the distinguished John Levitow Award in 2002. He was also named Air Force Special Operations Command, Command Post Controller of the Year in 2002-03, before his honor- able discharge in 2004.42 University of Louisville n gocards.com LOUISVILLE BASKETBALL Coaching Staff COACHING RESPONSIBILITY: Associate Coach YEAR AT UofL: 5th BIRTHDAY: January 17 EDUCATION: Bachelor’s Degree (Georgia Southwestern State, ‘11); Master’s Degree (America Public University, ‘17) HOMETOWN: Atlanta, Ga. ATHLETIC CAREER n Played at Georgia Southwestern State Uni- versity, where she received the Peach Belt Con- ference 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 2022-present: Louisville (associate coach) 2019-2022: Louisville (assistant coach) 2013-19: Georgia Tech (assistant coach, video coordinator, graduate manager) Coaching Highlights LOUISVILLE n In her four seasons at Louisville, she helped lead the Cardinals to an 110-25 record, two Atlantic Coast Conference regular season cham- pionships, four trips to the Elite Eight and the 2022 Final Four. n In 2022-23, she helped the Cardinals to a 26-12 record and they advanced to their fifth-straight Elite Eight appearance and eighth overall. They are the only team in the country to appear in each of the last five Elite Eights. The Cardinals have also been to six-straight Sweet 16’s, the third-longest active streak in the country. Louisville eclipsed the 20-win mark for the 13th- straight season and the Cards also made the ACC Tournament Championship for the fourth time in program history this past season. n Following the season, Pineda was recog- nized by Silver Waves Media as one of the 50 Most Impactful High Major Assistants in wom- en’s college basketball. n Named to the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) 2020 30-Under-30 list. n In 2021-22, helped Louisville to a 29-5 record and a trip to the program’s fourth ever Final Four. UofL went 10-4 against AP Top 25 teams, which is the most AP Top 25 wins in pro- gram history. Their 16-2 mark in ACC play ties the most wins ever in conference play and they finished 16-0 at home marking the first time they have went undefeated at the KFC Yum! Center. n She was key in the development of guards Kianna Smith and Chelsie Hall during the Final Four season. Smith started all 34 games last season for the Cardinals and was on the midseason Ann Meyers-Drysdale Award Watch List. Following the season, Smith was drafted by the Los Angeles Sparks in the 2022 WNBA Draft and made her professional debut for the Sparks in July. She was most recently selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the Women’s Korean Basketball League draft by the Yongin Samsung Life Blueminx. n Hall came to Louisville after four years at Vanderbilt and developed into a key starter for the Cardinals. She also started all 34 games in 2021- 22 en route to the program’s fourth ever Final Four. She is currently playing professional over- seas for KKZ Crvena zvezda in Belgrade, Serbia. 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 following 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 season. She is the third WBCA All-American in program his- tory, 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 quar- terfinals. 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.gocards.com n University of Louisville 43 LOUISVILLE BASKETBALL Women’s Basketball Support Staff C ortnee Walton enters her sec- ond season as the Director of Play- er Development and Alumni Relations. Head coach Jeff Walz hired five-year letter- winner Cortnee Walton to his staff as the Director of Player Development and Alumni Relations in August 2022. She returns to Louisville after spending the last three seasons working in recruit- ing operations with the Georgia Tech Women’s Basketball program. Prior to her time at Georgia Tech, Walton was a sideline reporter for the ACC Network Extra and covered women’s basketball, men’s and women’s soccer for the Cardinals. She was also a guest radio host on 790 KRD in Louisville as she provided analysis on current sports topics. During her playing career with the Cardinals, she played in 139 games at Louisville and gradu- ated with a bachelor of arts in communications in 2015 and a master of science in sport administra- tion in 2017. In her freshman season, the team reached the national championship game for the first time in program history. The Cardinals reached the Sweet Sixteen or farther in four of her five seasons. In the 2015-16 season, Walton started all 34 games for the Cardinals and was named to the 2015 Allstate WBCA Good Works Team. She was one of five student- athletes selected out of 103 nominees for outstanding contribu- tions in the areas of volunteerism and civic involvement. In her final season with the Cardi- nals, she started in 30 of 31 games and over her last two seasons, she started in 64 of 65 total games. Director of Player Development and Alumni Relations | Second Season A drienne Johnson is in her 18th year at the University of Louisville and her 10th season with the women’s basketball program. Her current- ly role with the team is Assistant Athletic Director for Women’s Basketball. She was previously the Executive Director for Player Relations. Johnson is involved in numerous facets within the program. She works as the liaison between the coaching staff and academic support 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 criti- cal to the fundraising endeavors for the program. Johnson also assists with on-campus recruit- ing, community service and marketing efforts, while serving as the analyst for the Louisville women’s basketball radio broadcasts. Previously, Johnson served as women’s bas- ketball’s and the athletic department’s outreach coordinator for five years before overtaking the position of executive director of operations for the women’s basketball team. A Louisville native, Johnson came to Louis- ville after playing for eight seasons in the WNBA. She began her WNBA career during the league’s inaugural 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 Mir- acle franchise before they moved to Con- necticut 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 starred 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. Assistant AD/Women’s Basketball | 18th Season M acey Ford, enters her second stint at the University of Louisville and her second season as director of operations heading into the 2022-23 season. Ford comes to the Cardinals after spending the 2021-22 season as the director of operations for the Tulsa Women’s Basketball team. Prior to Tulsa, Ford spent two years (2019-21) with the Louisville women’s basketball team as a graduate assistant for campus and community involvement. Ford served as a liaison between visiting teams and arena staff, arranged for visit- ing team practice times, coordinated team meals during travel and helped develop travel itineraries. Ford was a four-year letterwinner at Transylvania University. She played in 102 games, served on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and was a Transylvania First Engagements Program member. She was also active in the Tri Kappa Service Sorority, volunteered for the Special Olympics and worked with the Transylvania University basketball camps. Ford earned her bachelor’s degree in exercise science from Transylvania University in 2019 and her mas- ter’s degree in sports administration from Louisville in 2021. Director of Basketball Operations | Second Season 44 University of Louisville n gocards.com LOUISVILLE BASKETBALL Women’s Basketball Support Staff Gabrielle Ball Associate Athletic Trainer G abrielle Ball joined the UofL Sports Medicine Depart- ment in June of 2021. She currently serves as the Associate Athletic Trainer with Women’s Basketball. Prior to that, he worked with UofL’s women’s soccer and tennis teams until 2023. A 2019 graduate of the University of West Florida with a degree in Athletic Training, Ball earned a master’s degree in Nutrition from Lamar University in 2021. At Lamar, she spent two years with women’s soccer as a Graduate Assistant Athletic Trainer, helping them to a conference title and an NCAA playoff berth. A native of Fort Lauderdale, FL, Ball is a member of the National Athletic Train- ers’ Association and holds certifications in Intravenous Fluid Therapy, Integrative Dry Needling, and Functional Dry Needling level two. She also serves as a preceptor for Athletic Training Students from neighboring universities. Gabby’s fun fact is that she enjoys long walks and runs with her dog, Buddy. Rhen Vail Head Strength & Conditioning Coach R hen Vail joined the University of Louisville as the head strength & conditioning coach for the women’s basket- ball 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 management from Kent State in 2013. Vail graduated from Ohio State University with an undergraduate degree in exer- cise science in 2011. He was a strength & conditioning intern for the football team for three seasons. Mykasa Robinson Graduate Assistant M ykasa Robinson joined the women’s basketball staff after finishing her five-year career with the Cardinals during the 2022-23 season. Robinson holds the record for most games played in Louisville program history and has won more ACC games than any other women’s basketball player in the history of the league. She made the Elite Eight or farther in each NCAA Tournament she played in and she was a key cog in the Cardinals Final Four run in 2022. Robinson was a three-time All-ACC Defensive team selection in each of her last three years with the Cards. In her final season with the Cardinals, she played 34 games and made 18 starts, including each of the final 15 games of the season. She led the team in assists and steals and was second on the team in rebounds. She was named to the ACC First Team All-Tournament after helping the Cards reach the championship game for the fourth time in program history. Josie Williams Graduate Assistant J osie Williams also joins the women’s basketball staff after completing her collegiate career with the Car- dinals in the 2022-23 season. She played her final season with the Cardinals after playing her first four season with Utah Valley. During the 2022-23 season, she played in 35 games and made three starts with the Cardinals. She tallied five points and hit a three-pointer in the road win over No. 4 seed Texas in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. She was named to the Lisa Leslie L aMont Russell, a former Division I men’s basket- ball player, is in his eighth year with the women’s bas- ketball program and has been elevated to director of video analytics/graphic design. Russell is responsible for all aspects of video, including video breakdown and exchange, and assisting in recruiting and player devel- opment through film. He also manages male practice players, creates content and graphics for both social media and recruiting, serves as the marketing 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 recruiting tasks, game statistics, video operations, travel, social media outreach, and more. His staff duties included leading the team in dynamic stretching 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 operated player and team development, conducted conditioning pro- grams, assisted with practice and game preparations, including game day strategies, developed and pre- sented 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 Basket- ball Club of Kusnacht Erlenbach. Director of Video Analytics/Graphic Design | Eighth Seasongocards.com n University of Louisville 45 LOUISVILLE BASKETBALL Women’s Basketball Support Staff Award Watch List prior to the season and scored a season-high 11 points against SIUE. During her time at Utah Valley, she was named to the first team All-WAC for two-straight seasons. In her senior season, she set the program record with 24 double- doubles, which was fourth-best in the country that season. She finished with the second-highest single season rebounding average (12.4) and that ranked fifth-best in the NCAA that season. Amy Calabrese Deputy AD/Senior Woman Administrator A my Calabrese, a former UofL student-athlete and mem- ber of the UofL staff full-time since November of 2007, was elevated to Deputy Athletic Director in August of 2022. Prior to being promoted, Calabrese served as Associate Ath- letic Director beginning in July 2019 and was designated as the Senior Woman Administrator in November 2020. 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, man- aged multiple events, and implemented a senior seminar program and leadership groups. She worked nearly three years as assistant director of student-athlete development 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 management, 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 business 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. Chris May Women’s Basketball Academic Advisor C hris May, who is in his 19th year with UofL athletics, is entering his 15th year overseeing the academic support system for the women’s basketball program. Now in his ninth 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 administra- tion 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. Team Physicians Basketball Managers & Staff Dr. Jennifer Daily Dr. Katie Pohlgeers Ian Von Feldt Student Manager Donivon Visor Student Manager Dr. Brittney Richardson Dr. Jonathan Newsom Trey Clark Student Manager Chloe Murphy Student Manager46 University of Louisville n gocards.com LOUISVILLE BASKETBALL UofL Athletics Broadcast Center T he Atlantic Coast Conference and ESPN partnered to launch the comprehensive lin- ear and digital ACC Network on Aug. 22, 2019. To support production for the network, the Uni- versity of Louisville built a television production facility on the northeast corner of its campus to house all the equipment and personnel that is necessary to originate live programming. UofL’s 2018 production of “Louisville Live,” a preseason basketball event, won a national 2019 SVG College Sports Media Award as the best col- legiate Outstanding Live Non-Game Production. The 7,850 square foot production facility was completed in September 2018 and is connected by fiber to UofL athletic venues and to ESPN. Instead of mobile trucks covering sporting events, live programming will be originated from the new centralized production facility. The $8 million project included construction, equipment and integration, and fiber connection to UofL venues. The broadcast center includes two full video control rooms for linear telecasts which will air on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU or the ACC Network. Those two control rooms and three additional scaled back control rooms allow for live telecasts of mul- tiple events that may either overlap, or are concur- rently played to air on multiple television platforms. With fiber connections to each venue, the broadcast center also produces live, in-game con- tent for UofL venue video walls such as those in Cardinal Stadium, Dr. Mark & Cindy Lynn Sta- dium, KFC Yum! Center, Jim Patterson Stadium and Ulmer Field. The UofL Athletics Broadcast Center is connected by fiber to ESPN. The production facility includes a bureau stu- dio, which allows coaches and players to do live interviews on any ESPN platform or broadcast channels. Also included in the center is a versatile studio with variable sets and a full green screen wall, personnel work space and editing rooms. The Cardinals also maintain a mobile television production unit for venues that are not connected by fiber to the broadcast center. The center is used for the creation of not only ACC Network and ESPN content, but for other video projects in support of the athletics depart- ment as well. The broadcast center also provides educational opportunities for UofL students.Louisville Cardinals 2023-24 LOUISVILLE BASKETBALLNext >