May 5, 2005
SAN DIEGO - San Diego State women's basketball head coach Beth Burns has announced the hiring Thursday of her three assistant coaches, Jualeah Woods, Kate Paye and Renee Jimenez, and director of basketball operations, Tammy Stephens.
"I am very excited to announce the addition of Jualeah, Kate, Renee and Tammy to our Aztec basketball team," Burns said. "Great programs are built with great people and without question, we have been able to put together a first-class staff. I feel very fortunate to surround myself with such terrific people and to provide our team with excellent teachers and role models."
Jualeah Woods |
With seven years of experience as an assistant coach in the Pac-10 Conference, Jualeah Woods will serve as SDSU's recruiting coordinator. In addition, her on-court duties include working with the Aztecs' forwards and centers, as well as concentrating on team defense.
"A proven coach and recruiter at both Oregon State and Cal, `Coach Y' will coordinate our recruiting efforts," Burns said. "We want to attract the finest student-athletes possible to San Diego State and with Jualeah and Kate's experience on the west coast, I'm confident we will quickly be able to get into the homes of our top recruits."
Woods was an assistant coach at Oregon State for five years, serving as the program's recruiting coordinator for the last three seasons. The Beavers made four consecutive WNIT appearances from 2001-04, and advanced to the quarterfinals in 2004.
Before moving to Corvallis, Woods was an assistant for two seasons at California. She started her coaching career at Santa Monica High School as both an assistant and later as the head girls' basketball coach from 1994-97, before spending a year with the Long Beach StingRays of the American Basketball League (ABL) in 1997-98.
Woods was a four-year starter at small forward and two-time team captain at USC from 1990-94. The Berkeley, Calif., native helped lead the Women of Troy to four NCAA tournament appearances, including trips to the Elite Eight in 1993 and 1994 and the Sweet 16 in 1992. Woods earned her bachelor's degree in public administration from USC in 1994.
Kate Paye makes a return trip to Montezuma Mesa, having served a short stint as an assistant coach under Burns in 1995-96. Her on-court duties will include working with the point guards and perimeter players, as well as focusing on the overall team offense. She will also coordinate opponent scouting and play a large part in the Aztecs' recruiting efforts.
Kate Paye |
Paye left SDSU in 1996 to play professional basketball, first with the Seattle Reign of the ABL for three seasons, and later with the WNBA's Minnesota Lynx and Seattle Storm from 2000-02. Off the court, the Woodside, Calif., native graduated with distinction with both her juris doctorate and master's of business administration degrees from Stanford in 2003.
"I have known Kate Paye since her national championship years as a student-athlete at Stanford," Burns said. "Coach Paye is an excellent teacher and has a great understanding of the game. Her experience in the WNBA, combined with a terrific academic and athletic background, makes her one of the young `shining stars' in our profession."
Paye was a four-year member of the Stanford women's basketball team that claimed the national championship in 1992, and advanced to the NCAA Final Four in 1995. A Pac-10 honorable mention selection and two-time team captain, she earned her bachelor of arts degree in political science in 1995, and most recently was an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Pepperdine University in 2004-05.
Renee Jimenez spent last year as an intern for the women's basketball team at Stanford, where she was the team's videographer and coordinated film exchange. She also organized pre-game youth clinics and assisted with recruiting evaluations and summer camps.
Renee Jimenez |
"Coach Jimenez is a young coach with a bright future," Burns said. "Having worked on Tara VanDerveer's staff at Stanford last season, Renee brings the experience of coordinating all of the computer/video editing and teaching tapes, as well as working every aspect of summer camps. Being very well versed in technology, Renee will assist me in every area of the program, with a specific focus on our player and scout edits as well as summer camps."
The Ventura, Calif., native played three seasons at San Francisco State from 2001-04, finishing her career as the Gators' all-time leader in three-point field goals. Jimenez also set school season records for most three-pointers made (62) and most attempted (195).
A 2004 graduate of San Francisco State with a bachelor's degree in liberal studies and kinesiology, Jimenez also competed for one year at Ventura College, helping the Pirates to the 2001 state junior college championship.
Tammy Stephens has previous experience as director of basketball operations at both Stanford and Ohio State. At SDSU, she will handle all of the off-the-court responsibilities relative to the budget, facilities and travel, as well as coordinate community service projects, the season ticket campaign, summer camps and fundraising. Stephens will also work with the Aztec Athletic Foundation to re-create the "Full Court Press" booster club and establish on-going relationships with Aztec basketball alumnae.
In 2004-05, Stephens was a part of coach Tara VanDerveer's staff at Stanford, helping the Cardinal to a No. 1 national ranking, a 32-3 record and a trip to the NCAA Elite Eight. She coordinated the team's practice facilities and directed the booster club and fundraising efforts, which raised over $150,000 for the program. She also was the primary contact for summer camps and was responsible for the Cardinal's game scheduling for the 2005-06 campaign.
Tammy Stephens |
Stephens was the director of basketball operations at Ohio State from 1997-2000. In that position, she managed the day-to-day operations of the Buckeye program, which included overseeing the budget, hiring and supervising the office staff and coordinating team travel. She also was in charge of summer camps and was the community relations liaison.
"Tammy Stephens is a proven professional," Burns said. "Her presence will enable all of us to be better coaches, as well as make an immediate impact with our fan and community relations."
Before leaving for Ohio State, Stephens was an assistant women's tennis coach at the University of San Diego from 1993-97. She graduated in 1981 from Cal State Fullerton with a bachelor's degree in sociology, has a master's of education in counseling from USD and a teaching credential from UC Irvine.
"A great staff is the first step as we continue to build towards our championship future," Burns said. "I couldn't be more pleased with our foundation."