Photo by: For Houston Athletics
Hughey announces staff additions and changes
5/24/2022 2:15:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Women's basketball adds El, Chizer, Coltrane, West to staff
HOUSTON – University of Houston women's basketball Head Coach Ronald Hughey announced the additions of Assistant Coach Mansa El, Director of Operations Kaila Chizer and Director of Scouting, Video Services Jacob Coltrane and Director of Player Development Myyah West on Tuesday.
Mansa El – Assistant Coach
El returns to Houston after spending the 2021-22 season as an assistant coach at the University of South Alabama. During her time with the Jaguars, El managed the defensive game plan, player substitutions, time-out management and foul management during games. She was also responsible for scouting opponents and implementing defensive strategies before each game. Off the court, El managed the academic standing of all student athletes and acted as a marketing liaison for the program.
Before her time at South Alabama, El has served as assistant varsity coach for the boy's team at Cypress Springs (Texas) High School, where her responsibilities included in-game play calls, scouting opponents, planning and executing the team's strength and conditioning program and constructing preseason practice plans. In her first season with the team the Panthers finished 24-10 overall and a a first-round victory in the region tournament, while the next winter her efforts helped CSHS go 27-10 — including sharing the district title with a 14-2 mark — while advancing to the second round of the region tournament. She also worked with the FAM Elite AAU program at the same time, serving as head coach of the 15-and-under team as well as an assistant with the 16- and 17-and under squads.
El began her coaching career as an assistant at West Virginia Wesleyan during the 2013-14 season, moving on to become a graduate assistant on the staff at Houston the following year. She performed in that role for two seasons before being elevated to interim assistant coach for the 2015-16 campaign, then was hired in a full-time assistant capacity at Canisius the next season.
A two-year letterwinner at South Alabama from 2010-12, El posted 691 points, 247 rebounds, 162 assists and 78 steals in 69 career appearances for the Jaguars. She was named third-team All-Sun Belt as a redshirt junior after averaging 12.1 points and 3.2 rebounds per contest, and the following season she posted averages of 9.6 points and 4.3 rebounds; her efforts helped lead South Alabama to a 17-13 finish each of those years.
El received her bachelor's degree in interdisciplinary studies from South in 2013 and her master's degree in human resource development from Houston in 2016.
Kaila Chizer – Director of Operations
A former University of Houston women's basketball player, Chizer joins the staff after a season as an assistant coordinator with the University of Arizona women's basketball team.
While in Tucson, Chizer oversaw the scheduling and travel of the head coach and all the program calendars. The Pearland, Texas native also assisted in recruiting, community service and academic scheduling as well as travel for the women's basketball team.
Chizer spent two seasons as the University of Houston women's basketball graduate assistant from 2018-2020. During those two years, Chizer supervised the team's managers while assisting with recruiting, community service and academic scheduling as well as taking the lead on equipment.
As a player, Chizer appeared in eight games during the 2017-18 season for the Cougars, starting one. Before her time at Houston, Chizer played two seasons at Texas A&M Kingsville.
Chizer graduated with a degree in education from Houston in 2018 before earning her master's in Human Resource Development in 2020 from the Unviersity of Houston. She is the daughter of Senior Associate Athletics Director for Student-Athlete Development/SWA DeJuena Chizer.
Jacob Coltrane – Director of Scouting and Video Services
Coltrane joins the University of Houston support staff as the Director of Scouting and Video Services.
Jacob Coltrane comes to Houston after spending two seasons with the Virginia women's basketball staff in the same role.
Prior to his time at Virginia, Coltrane was a graduate assistant at South Carolina on Dawn Staley's staff from 2018-20, assisting the coaches with daily practice drills, developing scouting reports and game plans and coordinating travel plans. Coltrane also assisted with assembling the 2019 top-ranked recruiting class.
Along with being a graduate assistant under Coach Staley, Coltrane had the opportunity to work with USA Basketball during two World Cup training camps hosted in Columbia, SC.
Coltrane has also coached high school basketball as an assistant coach for the boys' team at AC Flora High School and most recently as the head girls' coach at Chapin High School, both of which are located in South Carolina.
Coltrane received a B.A. from the College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management at South Carolina in 2018 and his Master's of Health Information Technology from the university's College of Engineering and Computing in 2020.
Myyah West – Director of Player Development
West has spent the last two season's at Houston as the women's basketball graduate assistant and will now transition into the role of Director of Player Development. During her time as the graduate assistant, she assisted the team during games as well as oversaw the managers. As the Cougars' Director of player Development, West will work closely with the student-athletes in all facets of their lives, on and off the court.
West played two seasons for the Cougars (2017-19), appearing in 47 games and making 36 starts. During her senior season, she notched a career-best 12 points against SMU before having her senior season cut short due to injury.
The Mississippi native earned a Bachelor of Science in Sociology from the University and completed her Masters in Human Resource Development in 2022. During her time as a student, West was a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
JOIN the FAST BREAK CLUB
Fans are invited to join the Fast Break Club to support Houston Women's Basketball. Fast Break Club members provide financial support directly to Houston Women's Basketball for needs beyond the program's operating budget. For more information about the Fast Break Club, click here.
STAY CONNECTED
Fans can receive updates by following @UHCougarWBB on Twitter and catch up with the latest news and notes on the team by clicking LIKE on the team's Facebook page at UHCougarWBB or on the team's Instagram page at @UHCougarWBB.
Mansa El – Assistant Coach
El returns to Houston after spending the 2021-22 season as an assistant coach at the University of South Alabama. During her time with the Jaguars, El managed the defensive game plan, player substitutions, time-out management and foul management during games. She was also responsible for scouting opponents and implementing defensive strategies before each game. Off the court, El managed the academic standing of all student athletes and acted as a marketing liaison for the program.
Before her time at South Alabama, El has served as assistant varsity coach for the boy's team at Cypress Springs (Texas) High School, where her responsibilities included in-game play calls, scouting opponents, planning and executing the team's strength and conditioning program and constructing preseason practice plans. In her first season with the team the Panthers finished 24-10 overall and a a first-round victory in the region tournament, while the next winter her efforts helped CSHS go 27-10 — including sharing the district title with a 14-2 mark — while advancing to the second round of the region tournament. She also worked with the FAM Elite AAU program at the same time, serving as head coach of the 15-and-under team as well as an assistant with the 16- and 17-and under squads.
El began her coaching career as an assistant at West Virginia Wesleyan during the 2013-14 season, moving on to become a graduate assistant on the staff at Houston the following year. She performed in that role for two seasons before being elevated to interim assistant coach for the 2015-16 campaign, then was hired in a full-time assistant capacity at Canisius the next season.
A two-year letterwinner at South Alabama from 2010-12, El posted 691 points, 247 rebounds, 162 assists and 78 steals in 69 career appearances for the Jaguars. She was named third-team All-Sun Belt as a redshirt junior after averaging 12.1 points and 3.2 rebounds per contest, and the following season she posted averages of 9.6 points and 4.3 rebounds; her efforts helped lead South Alabama to a 17-13 finish each of those years.
El received her bachelor's degree in interdisciplinary studies from South in 2013 and her master's degree in human resource development from Houston in 2016.
Kaila Chizer – Director of Operations
A former University of Houston women's basketball player, Chizer joins the staff after a season as an assistant coordinator with the University of Arizona women's basketball team.
While in Tucson, Chizer oversaw the scheduling and travel of the head coach and all the program calendars. The Pearland, Texas native also assisted in recruiting, community service and academic scheduling as well as travel for the women's basketball team.
Chizer spent two seasons as the University of Houston women's basketball graduate assistant from 2018-2020. During those two years, Chizer supervised the team's managers while assisting with recruiting, community service and academic scheduling as well as taking the lead on equipment.
As a player, Chizer appeared in eight games during the 2017-18 season for the Cougars, starting one. Before her time at Houston, Chizer played two seasons at Texas A&M Kingsville.
Chizer graduated with a degree in education from Houston in 2018 before earning her master's in Human Resource Development in 2020 from the Unviersity of Houston. She is the daughter of Senior Associate Athletics Director for Student-Athlete Development/SWA DeJuena Chizer.
Jacob Coltrane – Director of Scouting and Video Services
Coltrane joins the University of Houston support staff as the Director of Scouting and Video Services.
Jacob Coltrane comes to Houston after spending two seasons with the Virginia women's basketball staff in the same role.
Prior to his time at Virginia, Coltrane was a graduate assistant at South Carolina on Dawn Staley's staff from 2018-20, assisting the coaches with daily practice drills, developing scouting reports and game plans and coordinating travel plans. Coltrane also assisted with assembling the 2019 top-ranked recruiting class.
Along with being a graduate assistant under Coach Staley, Coltrane had the opportunity to work with USA Basketball during two World Cup training camps hosted in Columbia, SC.
Coltrane has also coached high school basketball as an assistant coach for the boys' team at AC Flora High School and most recently as the head girls' coach at Chapin High School, both of which are located in South Carolina.
Coltrane received a B.A. from the College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management at South Carolina in 2018 and his Master's of Health Information Technology from the university's College of Engineering and Computing in 2020.
Myyah West – Director of Player Development
West has spent the last two season's at Houston as the women's basketball graduate assistant and will now transition into the role of Director of Player Development. During her time as the graduate assistant, she assisted the team during games as well as oversaw the managers. As the Cougars' Director of player Development, West will work closely with the student-athletes in all facets of their lives, on and off the court.
West played two seasons for the Cougars (2017-19), appearing in 47 games and making 36 starts. During her senior season, she notched a career-best 12 points against SMU before having her senior season cut short due to injury.
The Mississippi native earned a Bachelor of Science in Sociology from the University and completed her Masters in Human Resource Development in 2022. During her time as a student, West was a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
JOIN the FAST BREAK CLUB
Fans are invited to join the Fast Break Club to support Houston Women's Basketball. Fast Break Club members provide financial support directly to Houston Women's Basketball for needs beyond the program's operating budget. For more information about the Fast Break Club, click here.
STAY CONNECTED
Fans can receive updates by following @UHCougarWBB on Twitter and catch up with the latest news and notes on the team by clicking LIKE on the team's Facebook page at UHCougarWBB or on the team's Instagram page at @UHCougarWBB.
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