With two new hires this week, New Mexico's coaching staff is starting to take shape in anticipation for next season.
Head coach Mike Bradbury has most recently brought in two assistant coaches in the past week with the signings of Valerie King and Erin Grant.
King has been coaching under Bradbury for the past six years at Wright State. Bradbury said it is nice to see a familiar face in the Land of Enchantment.
“It’s going to help me, for one, and I think it’s really going to help our players,” Bradbury said. “She was a good player, she knows exactly the way that I want it done, and she’ll be able to get that across to them pretty quickly.”
The feeling is mutual, according to King. While she said the decision wasn’t a difficult one to make, going to a new region can be nerve racking for anyone.
“I think we kind of bounce stuff off of each other; I help him and he helps me,” she said. “He went to look at a house with me earlier, so just all that kind of stuff… It’s great comfort for me especially being this far away from where I am used to.”
The Lobos announced the new hire on Tuesday afternoon, and King addressed the media following individual practices.
For Grant, the trip to New Mexico is not an unfamiliar one. Former Lobo coach Yvonne Sanchez hired Grant for a single season in 2011-2012, Sanchez’s first year as head coach.
"We are excited to add Erin to our staff," Bradbury said. "She has a high-level of recruiting and coaching experience from her time in Memphis, Texas and New Mexico and has a dynamic, charismatic and confident personality that will be a great help for this program."
Grant was not shy when saying her return to UNM feels natural. While the newest assistant to Bradbury’s staff didn’t expect a return, she said she is happy to be back.
“It doesn’t feel weird, it feels comfortable,” Grant said after the Thursday announcement. “I did not expect to be back, at all, but when I got the phone call from coach Mike, I knew this was a great place for women’s basketball and I jumped at the opportunity to come with him.”
While the team has not been completely finalized by any measure for the 2016-2017 campaign, Bradbury said he likes his staff and added “we’re pretty much done.”
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Even with the newest hires, Bradbury still has some wiggle room with his staff and possesses the ability to bring in two recruits after the departures of Jannan Otto and Whitney Johnson.
“If we can get a player that will help us get better, then we’ll use it,” Bradbury said. “If not, then we won’t.”
Liam Cary-Eaves is the sports editor for the Daily Lobo. He primarily covers volleyball, women’s basketball and baseball. He can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @Liam_CE.
