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| Kendra (Anderson) Hassell was inducted into the American Southwest Conference Hall of Honor earlier this season. Hardin-Simmons athletics photo |
Abilene Christian assistant coach and former Hardin-Simmons All-American Kendra Hassell has been named the new Texas-Tyler women's basketball head coach.
Hassell, who was a two-time D3hoops.com first team All-America selection as Kendra Anderson at Hardin-Simmons, replaces Kevin Baker, who stepped down after three seasons to become head coach at San Angelo State. The Patriots were 72-16 under Baker.
Hassell spent two seasons as an assistant coach with Abilene Christian, helping to lead the Wildcats to 35 wins in two seasons while competing as a member of the Southland Conference.
"We are extremely pleased to welcome Kendra and her family to the city of Tyler and to UT Tyler," said Howard Patterson, vice president for student affairs. "Kendra knows what the Division III experience is like, and will use that knowledge to help lead the UT Tyler women's basketball team to even more success in the years to come."
Prior to ACU, Hassell spent three seasons coaching at Carroll, where she helped the Pioneers to three consecutive winning seasons while coaching two Midwest Conference Player of the Year award recipients.
Prior to joining the Carroll staff, Hassell spent one season (2009-10) on the staff at Texas Woman's University where she helped lead TWU to a 15-12 record and 9-5 mark in the Lone Star Conference.
Prior to coaching at TWU, Hassell coached for one season at Fort Worth Paschal High School, and before that she spent three seasons working for Goodenough as the recruiting coordinator and assistant coach at Charleston Southern.
Prior to coaching at Charleston Southern, Hassell was as an assistant coach at Forney High School in Forney, Texas from 2005-06 and a graduate assistant coach at Oklahoma State from 2003-2005. She also served as a camp counselor at Hardin-Simmons (1999-2002) and Oklahoma State (2003-04) and camp director at Bronte High School in 2000 and Graham High School in 2003.
Hassell played four years at Hardin-Simmons and was a two-time D3hoops.com First Team All-American, Verizon Academic All-American and American Southwest Conference Female Athlete of the Year. Hassell received the 2003 NCAA Texas Woman of the Year honors and selected to the D3hoops.com All-Decade Team in 2007.
In 2014-15, Hassell was inducted into the American Southwest Conference Hall of Honor. She finished her Hardin-Simmons career ranked second all-time in points scored (1,759) averaging 15.6 points per game. She is the all-time leader in field goals attempted (1,292) and is tied for the lead in career field goals made (694). She also finished ranked third all-time in rebounds (955).
Hassell graduated from Hardin-Simmons with a bachelor degree in behavioral science while earning her master's degree in exercise science at Oklahoma State in 2005.