June 28, 2013
SAN DIEGO - San Diego State women's basketball head coach Stacie Terry added another key member to her staff Friday when she announced the hiring of Aisha Veasley as an assistant coach. A native of Los Angeles, Veasley returns to southern California with nine years of Division I coaching experience, having spent two productive stints as an assistant at Tulsa and Colorado following a successful playing career at UCLA.
"I am thrilled to have Aisha join our staff," Terry said. "She is a fierce competitor both on and off the court and is going to be a great asset to our program, as well as a wonderful role model and mentor for our young ladies.
"Aisha is known as a strong recruiter, but also has a very high basketball IQ and will play a huge part in our player development."
During her tenure at Colorado from 2005-10, Veasley directed the Buffaloes' post players and served a pivotal role as the team's recruiting coordinator, helping to sign three top-40 classes, including the No. 26 class in 2006, according to ESPN HoopGurlz.
Veasley's recruiting successes featured future WNBA draft picks Brittany Spears, who finished her collegiate career as CU's all-time leading scorer, and Chucky Jeffery, who received honorable mention WBCA All-America recognition and first-team all-Pac-12 honors. In addition, Veasley coached and mentored two-time AP honorable mention All-American Jackie McFarland, who also collected three straight Academic All-America awards from ESPN The Magazine.
"I am so ecstatic to return to coaching," said Veasley, who has spent the last two years pursuing private business interests in Westminster, Colo. "It's exciting to be part of a new direction for a great San Diego State women's basketball program and to return to my home and my basketball roots here in southern California. I look forward to seeing and reconnecting with all my basketball relationships throughout the area.
"Throughout the hiring process, I was completely impressed by the quality of people I met and their enthusiasm for the University overall and SDSU athletics. A huge thank you goes to head coach Stacie Terry and the entire athletic administration for providing me this opportunity."
Prior to her arrival on the Boulder campus, Veasley coached for four seasons at Tulsa from 1999-2003, helping to transform the Golden Hurricane from a perennial cellar dweller to a competitive presence in the Western Athletic Conference. During her stint, TU racked up 53 victories after posting just 21 wins in the previous three seasons from 1996-99. Under Veasley's tutelage, Leela Farr emerged as the Hurricane's first all-WAC first-team performer, while Allison Curtin attained AP honorable mention All-America status and became the school's first-ever WNBA draft pick, going to the Houston Comets with the 12th overall selection in 2003.
Veasley was promoted to a full-time recruiting position at TU for the 2001-02 campaign. In addition to her coaching responsibilities, which concentrated on post player development, Veasley evaluated potential recruits, monitored student-athlete affairs for the program, oversaw the Hurricane's travel arrangements and served as the team's community service coordinator.
In between her two collegiate coaching stops, Veasley played and coached one season for Everyone's Internet (EV1), an exhibition team based in Houston, Texas, that featured former collegians and WNBA players. With the EV1 squad in 2003-04, Veasley was responsible for the development of post players, as well as the coordination and budget management of team travel and player salaries.
Veasley won four varsity letters at UCLA under head coach Kathy Olivier from 1994-98. As a senior, she was voted team captain for the 1997-98 campaign, helping the Bruins advance to the second round of the NCAA tournament. Veasley also captured UCLA's Coaches Award that season and was named the squad's most inspirational player the previous year in 1997.
Veasley received her undergraduate degree in history with a specialization in business from UCLA in 1999. In addition, she served one season as head coach in the prep ranks at Boulder High School in 2010-11, guiding the Panthers to the second round of the Colorado state 5A tournament.
The Veasley File
Hometown
Los Angeles, Calif.
High School
Valley Christian, Cerritos, Calif.
Education
Bachelor of Arts -
History with Specialization in Business
UCLA, 1999
Coaching Background
1999-2003
University of Tulsa, Assistant Coach
2005-10
University of Colorado, Assistant Coach
2010-11
Boulder High School (Colo.), Head Coach