HobbsDailyReport.com
SIMPSON
HICKORY – Sierra Simpson, an assistant women’s basketball coach last season at Wofford College, is joining the coaching staff at Lenoir-Rhyne University.
The school announced her hiring on Wednesday in a press release.
“I am thrilled to have Sierra join me on this journey,” new LRU head women’s coach Cameron Sealey said in the release. “Her knowledge of the game, experience with the South Atlantic Conference and success in the Southeast Region will be of huge benefit to our student-athletes.
“The commitment, dedication and hard work she puts forth every day are exactly what our program is about.
“Sierra has a gift in this profession and we are fortunate she’s at Lenoir-Rhyne University. She will be a great role model for our players on and off the court.”
Simpson was an assistant coach last season at Wofford and at Anderson (S.C.) the season before that.
Wofford went 13-17 overall last season, tying Western Carolina for last place with a league record of 3-11.
Two years ago, Anderson won the SAC regular season championship and advanced to the NCAA Division II tournament.
Simpson was a four-year standout at Anderson (2011-15) and was the SAC’s Player of the Year as a senior. She led the Trojans to two SAC regular season titles (2012-13 and 2014-15) and two NCAA Division II postseason bids.
She finished her college career with 1,049 points and led the league in assists (4.6) as a senior.
Simpson, a native of Simpsonville, S.C., earned both her bachelor’s degree (kinesiology) and master’s degree (business administration) from Anderson.
LRU went 17-12 overall last season and 13-9 in the SAC, finishing in sixth place under Kate Pate, who was not retained as head coach.
Pate coached the Bears for three seasons with a 41-43 record and no NCAA Division II playoff appearances.
Sealey, a Gaston County native, was hired to lead the Bears in late April. She left an assistant coaching job at Wofford to make the move to Hickory.
The Bears’ coaching staff also recently lost assistant coach Brad Mangum, a former head girls’ basketball coach at Fred T. Foard and Alexander Central. He resigned to take the varsity girls’ basketball head-coaching job at West Caldwell High.
— Reported by LRU Sports Information