Elliot adds five new coaches to staff

First-year head coach Jamelle Elliot of the UC women’s basketball team announced the hiring of five new members to her coaching staff.

The new members include Mark Ehlen, former University of Toledo and Xavier University head coach, LaRita Wilcher and Todd Moore, who will be assistant coaches. Dana Rieger will serve as the director of basketball operations, and Sahar Nusseibeh as a graduate assistant.

“These are the guys I decided to bring on the board with me,” Elliot said.  “I feel like [they] are all quality, top-notch people who are going to help me make things happen here
at UC.”

Ehlen, a Division I head coach for 22 years, earned an overall record of 362-279, while at Toledo and Xavier. At Toledo, Ehlen earned Mid-American Conference Coach of the Year four times, leading the Rockets to eight MAC titles and six postseason berths.

As the former Deer Park High School head coach, Ehlen won a state championship in 1984, twice was named the Ohio High School Coach of the Year and was inducted into the Greater Cincinnati Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002.

“Not only does he have the head coaching experience that I think for me, as a young coach, is important to have, but he is also a really good guy,” Elliot said. “I feel like I can trust him.”

Wilcher, besides being an assistant coach, will serve as the recruiting coordinator for Elliot.

The former Louisiana Tech assistant coach helped the Lady Techsters win the Western Athletic Conference regular season title and a berth to the Women’s National Invitational Tournament.

Moore coached high school, college and AAU teams for the last 15 years and has coached eight future division I players and two future NBA players.

He was an assistant coach on the men’s basketball team at Morgan State for one year and spent two years at Howard Community College.

Rieger, like Elliot, comes from Connecticut where she spent the last four years.

She brings nine full years of college administration experience to the staff, with two years serving as the executive assistant to the director of athletics at Connecticut.

Rieger also spent one year as an assistant coach for the women’s basketball team in Western Michigan in 1995.

Nusseibeh was assigned the staff’s graduate assistant after earning her degree from American University.

She is a four-year letter winner for the AU women’s basketball team, and helped the Eagles earn their second postseason berth in school history.

“My number one focus up to this point was hiring my staff,” Elliot said.  “Now that that’s in place, we’re going to start some heavy recruiting, being on the phones, and heading to some high school and AAU games.”