ESPN Women's Basketball

HATTIESBURG, Miss. -- Jennings native Brooks Donald, a recruiting coordinator at the University of Memphis, was named an assistant coach at Southern Miss, head women's basketball coach Joye Lee-McNelis said Friday.

Lee-McNelis came to Southern Miss from Memphis and was Donald's boss at Memphis.

At Memphis, Donald also assisted with on-the-court coaching of the post players and monitored academic progress of the student-athletes.

"I'm excited about Brooks joining our staff," Lee-McNelis said. "She is a great recruiter and has a key knowledge of what it takes to be successful."

Before her stint at Memphis, Donald was an assistant coach at Arkansas-Little Rock for three seasons. While at Arkansas-Little Rock, Donald was responsible for recruiting, scouting, monitoring academics and served as the on-the-court coach of the guards.

Donald served as head girls' basketball coach at Saint Thomas More High School in Lafayette, La.

Donald, 26, received her bachelor's degree from Mississippi State in 2000. While at MSU, Donald was a member of the Lady Bulldogs for one year before a knee injury cut her collegiate career short.

Copyright 2004 by The Associated Press