Memphis Hires Women's Basketball Assistant Coach

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - University of Memphis head women's basketball coach Joye Lee-McNelis announced today the hiring of Jennifer Hoover as assistant coach to replace Ben Law who resigned following the 2001-02 season.

Hoover brings eight years of Division I coaching experience to the Lady Tiger program. An assistant coach for the last two years at James Madison, Hoover served as the recruiting coordinator and lead assistant. While at JMU, she helped the squad to a second-place showing in the league as well as an appearance in the WNIT Final Four.

"We are very excited that Jennifer will be a part of our staff," said McNelis. "She will bring added dimensions to our staff. She will add a new recruiting area to program, and will make a difference in our post play as a former college and professional player.

"Jennifer and her husband John also add another family component to our program," added McNelis.

Hoover, who played under the name Jenny Mitchell, still hails as the Wake Forest career leader in points with 1,728 and in rebounds with 1,006. A player from 1988-91, Hoover is the only women's basketball player at Wake Forest to total more than 1,000 rebounds and 1,000 points in a career. While at WFU, Hoover was a three-time all-ACC honoree, and was also named to the ACC academic honor roll. She was named a Fast Break all-American during her junior and senior years, and was a member of the South team which won the bronze medal in the 1989 Olympic Festival in Oklahoma City.

Following her collegiate career, Hoover was a professional player for the Solna IF Basketball team in Stockholm, Sweden for the 1991-92 season. She played in 1993 on the Athletes in Action USA Fall Exhibition tour, and the Australian Spring tour. She joined the coaching ranks in 1994 as an assistant at UMKC for two years.

She also was an assistant coach for two years each at Virginia Commonwealth (1996-98) and East Carolina (1998-2000) before joining the staff at JMU.

A 1991 graduate of WFU, Hoover earned her bachelor's degree in communications.