Hessel elevated to assistant coaching position

Keri Hessel

Keri Hessel has spent the last two seasons working with the University of Missouri-Rolla women's basketball program as a student assistant and then a graduate assistant coach following her days as a Lady Miner player. Hessel will now move into a full-time role as a coach as she has been named as the new assistant coach for the Lady Miner basketball program.

She takes over for Marcus Payne, who resigned recently to accept a coaching position at Austin Peay State University. "I am pleased, as I know Coach Eads is, to have Keri joining us as a full-time member of our outstanding coaching staff," said UMR director of athletics Mark Mullin. "In her position as a graduate assistant she made many contributions to the program. She will be an excellent team member in our department. As the full-time assistant, I am confident her experience, dedication, and work ethic will allow her to make a significant impact on the future success of our women's basketball program."

"We were fortunate to have Keri here and available to take this position," said Lady Miner head coach Alan Eads. "She has been a part of our staff for the last two seasons and has been involved with our team this summer in terms of recruiting, which will also be good for us as she will continue with the recruiting of those players. Keri has a good basketball background as she played and her father is a high school coach," Eads added. "I think she is real excited about the opportunity and is comfortable with moving into this full-time role."