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Kristen Gillespie & Jenni Dant Named Assistant Women's Basketball Coaches
June 3, 2009
CHICAGO- UIC head women's basketball coach Lisa Ryckbosch announced on Wednesday, June 3 that Kristen Gillespie and Jenni Dant have joined her staff as assistant coaches. Gillespie, who has roots in Joliet, played and coached under the legendary late Kay Yow at North Carolina State, while Dant played at the prep level at Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire and starred as a collegian at DePaul under Doug Bruno. "We're very fortunate to have Kristen and Jenni join our staff," said Ryckbosch. "The caliber of character and competitiveness that these two high-quality individuals possess is unmatched, and they are going to serve as great role models for our players in the sense that they have achieved at such a high level. "Both are outstanding recruiters and will serve as great resources for our players because of their unique perspectives and success in the game of basketball," Ryckbosch continued. "Our players and recruits are really going to be excited with Kristen and Jenni. It's certainly a thrill for me to have them join our staff." Gillespie, who will also serve as the Flames' recruiting coordinator, comes to UIC after spending the last two years on staff at NC State. She has also coached at Central Florida and UC Santa Barbara before returning to her alma mater to become a graduate assistant under coach Yow. Gillespie, who was a WBCA High School All-American for Maclay High School in Tallahassee, Fla., started her collegiate playing career at Auburn before transferring to NC State, where she was the starting point guard on the Wolfpack's 1998 Final Four squad. She also comes from a family of coaches; her father and brother have coached basketball at various levels and her grandfather, Gordie, is college baseball's all-time winningest coach with over 1,800 victories. "Kristen has played and coached at a high level, and our players will benefit on a daily basis from that experience," said Ryckbosch. "She is an up-and-coming assistant and has earned a great reputation as a recruiter. Kristen is a high-quality person with a great personality and the ability to relate to and teach different people."
"I am thrilled to be here at UIC," said Gillespie. "I am happy to join Lisa and her staff and to try and take this program to new heights." Dant is no stranger to Ryckbosch. The two first encountered each other when Ryckbosch was a DePaul assistant and Dant was a Parade All-American and all-state selection at Stevenson. Ryckbosch coached Dant for one season in Lincoln Park before taking the reigns of the Flames, while Dant went on to conclude a stellar four-year college career in 2005 by finishing among the Blue Demons' top 10 all-time leading scorers with 1,633 points. Dant averaged 13.4 ppg from 2001-2005, earning All-Conference USA accolades three times and C-USA All-Freshman Team honors, and was drafted by the WNBA's Houston Comets before embarking on a professional career in Europe. "Jenni is one of the most competitive players I have ever been around, but as competitive as she is on the court, she is as great a person off the court," said Ryckbosch. "She has a great understanding of the game and is just a classy human being. She played at a high level, has professional experience and just wants to be around the game. Jenni is perfect for the coaching profession and has the opportunity to have a tremendous impact on the growth of young players as students, as athletes and as people." "I am very excited for the opportunity to coach at a great school like UIC," said Dant. "I have known coach Lisa for a long time and she is one of the hardest workers I have ever been around. I am excited to work with her and the staff at UIC." UIC returns 10 players, including two-time All-Horizon League guard Jessie Miller, from last year's squad for the 2009-10 campaign. |
