With UK doing so well with honors in the SEC Basketball Awards this year, I thought Id post a little additional info on all their coaching staff. Along with the great attributes they all share such as successful, honesty, hard work and discipline, there was another underlying theme they all shared.
Meet UKs coaching staff.
Matthew Mitchell-Head Coach
Mitchell worked as the top assistant and recruiting coordinator under former head coach Mickie DeMoss who worked for Pat Summitt for 18 seasons. He served as a graduate assistant coach for the legendary Hall of Fame Coach Pat Summitt at Tennessee.
Kyra Elzy-Assistant coach and recruiting coordinator
Kyra, also, helps coach UKs guards. As a student-athlete, Elzy tutored under the nation's all-time winningest coach in Hall of Famer Pat Summitt at Tennessee. The four-year letter winner, who actually spent five seasons in a Lady Vol uniform after missing the 1998-99 season with an injury, was a member of two national championship teams (1997 and 1998) and a national runner-up squad (2000). During her time in Knoxville, she played in 126 games and earned the Holly Warlick Defensive Player of the Year award in 1997 and the Unsung Hero Award in 1998.
Elzy became just the fifth freshman in Tennessee history to start her first game as a Lady Vol when she started at guard in the 1996-97 season opener against Austin Peay. She also earned another distinction during her playing career, becoming the first Tennessee player to earn her master's degree while still playing.
Matt Insell- Assistant Coach
Along with recruiting duties, Insell also will be responsible for the guards with Coach Kyra Elzy. Insell, 27, earned valuable basketball experience while attending the University of Tennessee from 2001-2005. He worked closely with both the men's and women's basketball programs, serving as a student assistant/video coordinator under former men's head coach Buzz Peterson and as an instructor at Pat Summitt's summer basketball camps.
Shalon Pillow-Assistant Coach
Along with recruiting duties, Pillow will be responsible for the post players. Pillow, a 6-3 center, was a four-year letter winner (1998-2002) at Tennessee under legendary coach Pat Summitt. She played in 108 career games and helped the Lady Vols advance to four National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Tournaments, including two Final Four appearances. In her collegiate career, the Lady Vols recorded a remarkable 124-5 record and a 53-3 slate in the SEC.
She graduated from UT in 2002 with a bachelor's degree in general psychology and a minor in communications.
Congratulations Coach Pat Summitt for all you continue to contribute to all of womens college basketball.
