Ashland University women's basketball head coach
Kari Pickens has announced the addition of
Jenna Kotas as the Eagles' new assistant coach.
Kotas has spent the past three seasons as an assistant women's basketball coach at Illinois Springfield.
"I'm extremely excited to be adding Jenna to our program," Pickens said. "She will add a wide range of experiences and a tremendous work ethic that will immediately make a positive impact to our program. But the thing that has stood out to me the most about Jenna is her enthusiasm to be at Ashland. There is no doubt that Jenna was the best person for the job."
Said Kotas, "I am very excited and grateful for the opportunity to work alongside coach Pickens and join Ashland's women's basketball championship culture. Immediately after hearing coach Pickens talk about the program's vision, core values, foundation, and goals, I knew I wanted to be a part of the Ashland women's basketball family. I am excited to move to Ashland and join a community that loves and supports women's basketball.
"Not only do I want to help continue to bring championships to Ashland, but I hope to be a mentor to the student-athletes in our program and also make a positive impact in the Ashland community. I am 100 percent invested in this program, and can't wait to get to work."
Kotas is a three-time recipient of the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Thirty Under 30 award (2019, 2021 and 2022), established to honor 30 of the up-and-coming women's basketball coaches age 30 and less in the sport at all levels of the game.
In three seasons at UIS, helped the women's basketball program go from 9-19 to 10-11 to 17-11.
Her first WBCA Thirty Under 30 award came in her only season with the Purdue Northwest women's basketball program. Kotas also was an assistant for one year at Dubuque, and two seasons at Benedictine (Ill.).
As an NCAA Division III forward at both Clarke and Dubuque, Kotas was all-conference all four years of her playing career, and scored a total of 1,605 career points. An honorable mention All-American as a senior, she averaged 17.4 points and 6.9 rebounds per game, and made 90.2 percent from the free-throw line.
Kotas graduated from Dubuque in 2015 with a degree in Sports Marketing/Management. In 2021, she earned her master's in Communications from UIS.
She comes to Ashland following the appointment of former associate head coach
Stephanie Gehlhausen as the head coach of Lander's women's basketball program on May 9.
"I am incredibly happy for Steph as she ventures on this new journey," Pickens said. "She is someone who brings so much enthusiasm and passion to the workplace every day, and Lander will be better because of her. Our program will miss her immensely, but we are thankful for the time we had with her and are wishing her all the best."
Said Gehlhausen, "I'd like to first thank
Kari Pickens for bringing me to this amazing university four years ago. The impact that she and this community have had on me will be everlasting. I am so grateful for my time working with and for Kari, and there is no doubt that Ashland will always have a special place in my heart. I'd also like to thank the players at Ashland for always believing in me and pushing me to be the best coach I can be. It's that belief that I will take with me on this new and exciting journey.
"I know that the time I've spent as an Eagle has prepared me to lead the women's basketball program at Lander University, and I can't wait to help build on the success that they have established over the years."
Over the last 11 seasons, Ashland has gone 322-39 (.892) with two NCAA Division II national championships, two national runner-up finishes, two undefeated seasons, a D-II-record 73-game winning streak, six 30-win seasons, 10 NCAA postseason qualifications, seven conference regular-season championships, eight conference tournament titles, and a mark of 175-13 (.931) at the Sherrill Hudson Court at Kates Gymnasium.
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