Skip To Main Content
Skip To Main Content

UNC Wilmington Athletics

Scoreboard

Events/Results

Lea and Yohn WBCA

Women's Basketball Brandon Sans

Lea, Yohn Selected for WBCA's Next Generation Institute

WILMINGTON, North Carolina – UNCW women's basketball Associate Head Coach Cherie Lea and assistant coach Hailey Yohn have been selected to participate in the Next Generation Institute (NGI), an elite program for rising young coaches from the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA).
 
Lea, a UNCW Athletic Hall of Famer, and Yohn were among the nation's top assistant coaches to be included in the second year of the NGI, which targets participants who aspire to be Head Coaches and equips them with the skills needed to lead a program.
 
"Our program is blessed to have Cherie and Hailey. They both are passionate, have a heart for their players and are extremely knowledgeable regarding the game," said UNCW Head Coach Nicole Woods. "Cherie is our Defensive Coordinator and Hailey our Offensive Coordinator. They both will make amazing Head Coaches and push me to be better daily!"
 
To be eligible for selection to participate in the program, a person must be a current WBCA member, must have at least five years' experience as a college assistant coach, and must have been nominated by their head coach.
 
Participants will meet prior to (virtually), during (in person) and after (virtually) the 2024 WBCA Convention. The convention takes place April 4-5 in Cleveland, Ohio, the site of the 2024 Women's Final Four.
 
Lea and Yohn, two of 32 NGI beta class members across the country, are both in their first seasons on the UNCW staff after gaining valuable coaching and leadership experience at multiple coaching stops.
 
Lea, a standout UNCW guard in the early 2000s, served two stints on the staff at Duquesne, most recently as the Dukes' Associate Head Coach. While in Pittsburgh, she helped Duquesne to three WNIT berths (2014, 2017, 2018) and advanced to the Sweet 16 of the WNIT in 2018.
 
She was also the top assistant at Wingate in between stops with the Dukes.
 
Yohn, now in her ninth season as a collegiate assistant, served four years each at Miami (OH) and High Point, under former RedHawks and Panthers Coach DeUnna Hendrix.
 
The Durham, N.C., native was a three-year captain as a player at Coker College and graduated as Cobra's all-time leader in three-pointers made (211). During her playing career, Yohn was named to the South Athletic Conference Commissioner's Honor Roll twice and was voted as the team's MVP in 2013. 
 
 
Print Friendly Version