At a special presentation Tuesday, May 6 at Elon’s weekly College Coffee festivities, women’s basketball associate head coach Ann Lashley was named as one of the AFLAC National Assistant Coach of the Year Award recipients. The award was presented by AFLAC representatives Brandon Harvey and Harvey King and Elon Athletics Director Alan White. Lashley is one of only eight North Carolina recipients of the award and the only at the Division I level.
Lashley, one of 500 honorees out of over 350,000 nominees, has been at Elon for nine seasons on head coach Brenda Paul’s staff. She also served stints as an assistant coach at Georgia State, Georgia Tech and Mississippi State.
“I am surprised and honored to receive this award,” said Lashley. “I take a great deal of pride in working behind the scenes to make our program run smoothly. I do what all assistant coaches do. I accept this award on behalf of assistant coaches in all sports who put in countless hours behind the scenes. I enjoy my association with my colleagues here at Elon and I appreciate the recognition. I would like to thank AFLAC and Scholastic Coach & Athletic Director for this honor.”
In her time with the Phoenix program, Elon has transitioned from NCAA Division II play to NCAA Division I play and the women’s basketball program has been a contender for the Big South Conference crown in each of the past four seasons. The 2002-2003 squad finished with its best record since joining the Division I ranks, 19-10. Elon also finished with an 11-3 Big South ledger, also a best since entering the league.
Paul says, “Ann Lashley has committed herself to the total development of the Elon women’s basketball program. She has been instrumental in identifying, evaluating and recruiting outstanding athletes that have been the cornerstone of our successful program. She has developed and implemented our defensive system, spends endless hours in the film room and has developed our off-season individual player skills improvement program.
“Ann meets one-on-one with our players to discuss academic progress which has resulted in a senior graduation rate of 100 percent. Ann’s loyalty, work ethic and great pride in Elon are certainly a role model for the young women she coaches in our program. She deserves this honor for her years of unselfish dedication to helping our first-class program here at Elon.”
Lashley has worked with USA Basketball in several capacities. She served as site coordinator for the 1991 U.S. Olympic Festival South Regional Trials, hosted in Atlanta by Georgia State, and was a member of the support staff at both the U.S. National Team Trials and the U.S. Olympic Festival in 1991.
During her playing days at Mississippi State, Lashley was a four-year starter and finished her career as that school’s all-time leading rebounder while ranking second in career field goal percentage, fourth in free throws made and sixth in scoring with over 1,000 points. In her senior season with the Lady Bulldogs, the Coventry, England native, averaged 10.4 points and 6.4 rebounds, leading Mississippi State to a program-best 19-13 finish and a berth in the NIT.
“AFLAC is pleased to sponsor the AFLAC National Assistant Coach of the Year program,” said Joe Kuechenmeister, AFLAC senior vice president. “Assistant coaches are the unsung heroes of American sport.”
Lashley was a member of the English National Basketball Team from 1981-1988 and competed for Great Britain in the World University Games in 1985 and 1987, and on the Olympic Team in 1988.
A 1989 honors graduate from Mississippi State, Lashley was named Academic All-Southeastern Conference twice and earned her undergraduate degree in biological engineering. She holds a master’s degree in sports administration from Georgia State.
The award is presented by AFLAC in conjunction with Scholastic Coach & Athletic Director magazine and is presented to assistant coaches in all sports. It is given to assistant coaches to recognize their unheralded behind-the-scenes work. The criteria in the second annual AFLAC National Assistant Coach of the Year program considered traits such as longevity, expertise, contributions to the school and community, and special achievements throughout a career. The selections were based on nominations made by head coaches, athletic administrators, past and current student-athletes, fans and board members.