Wells-Broughton is TSU's Coach

HOUSTON, TX -- This afternoon, Yolanda Wells-Broughton, was introduced as the new head women's basketball coach at Texas Southern University.

"We're pleased to have a person like Coach Wells-Broughton coming from a national powerhouse program like LSU," said TSU's Athletics Director Charles McClelland. "She brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in all aspects of the game."

Wells-Broughton comes to TSU after serving one year as an assistant coach at LSU under fomer WNBA Houston Comets head coach Van Chancellor. (Yesterday, Van Chancellor told the media Wells-Broughton would be named TSU's new women's basketball coach.)

Prior to her stint at LSU, Wells-Broughton served as an assistant coach at Texas Christian University from 2004 - 2007. In her three years at TCU, Wells-Broughton helped the team into the NCAA Tournament all three seasons.

Though she is getting a relatively late start (the summer recruiting period has already begun), Wells-Broughton does not mind the challenge one bit.

"I'm very confident that Texas Southern's athletic department has hired the right person," said head coach Wells-Broughton. "With my experience going into LSU last year, I went to LSU five months pregnant and they had nine kids graduating. We graduated nine and had to replace nine. Nevertheless, the results are we had the number four recruiting class in the country. I think TSU is a great challenge; but, with my experience, I have no doubt that I can get it done."

She has to sign "only six kids in the upcoming class" for TSU.

Wells-Broughton hopes to install and instill a new winning attitude at Texas Southern; and she told everyone within earshot TSU's winning "started this morning". With all of her players on the same page as the coaching staff, Wells-Broughton believes the change toward a winning culture should take a couple of years.

"There's a lot of talent in the state of Texas; and, even when I was recruiting at LSU, I was recruiting kids out of the city of Houston and the surrounding area. I'm looking forward to it. I'm not sure we're going to have to go out of the state of Texas to recruit."

Though she was only on LSU's coaching staff with Van Chancellor for just one season, Wells-Broughton said she learned quite a bit from him.

"He taught me family comes first; but, he also taught me how to recruit. How to take my recruiting to another level and how to 'close the deal'. Not only start it but finish it. I love the pro-style offense form. I thank God for him for taking a chance on me. I was pregnant with two kids; and, he gave me an opportunity."

"I'm excited. My family is here; and, my family has supported me my entire career. It's just a blessing that my family is now right down the street from me."

Fans of TSU should like the style of play -- on offense and defense -- Wells-Broughton plans to bring to TSU.

"I've been associated with mostly uptempo. I really want to push the ball. I want to incorporate (Memphis head coach John Calipari) Calipari's offense which is a dribble drive offense and create a lot of shots. I want to press and try to get easy baskets off of it."

Wells-Broughton's recruiting philosophy should ring a bell to fans who've followed Cynthia Cooper's recruiting attitude at Prairie View A&M.

"Recruits will have to tell me 'No.' That's my philosophy. I'm still going after the stud athletes. Someone is going to give us an opportunity. We're not only going to knock on the door we're going to kick the door down until they tell us 'No'."

Wells-Broughton is a native Houstonian; and, she attended Spring Woods High School. She played college basketball at Grambling State University from 1992 - 1994. As a player at GSU, she earned all-conference honors and helped GSU earn its first-ever trip to the NCAA Tournament in 1994.