Joni Crenshaw Succeeds Andy Landers As Georgia Women’s Basketball Head Coach
Joni Crenshaw will follow Andy Landers as only the second head basketball coach ever of the women’s Georgia basketball team.
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Joni Crenshaw is the new head coach of the women’s Georgia basketball team. She is only the second full-time head coach in the program’s history. Crenshaw was a member of the Georgia Basketball Staff for the past four seasons, the last three as associate head coach.
Athletic Director Greg McGarity spoke to Georgiadogs.com.
"After a national search, it became evident that Joni was the perfect person to lead our program. “Joni brings the intangibles that parallel success — character, experience and a tireless energy to lead our program. We are confident she will do a tremendous job leading Georgia Basketball into the future."
Crenshaw brings 13 seasons of Division I coaching experience to the Lady Bulldog program. Joining the Georgia staff in 2011, she spent one season as an assistant coach before a promotion to associate head coach. Crenshaw coached at LSU from 2010-11, at Alabama from 2008-10, at Louisiana Tech from 2005-08 and at Troy from 2002-05.Crenshaw also told Georgiadogs.com.
"I am extremely honored to be the next coach at Georgia. I want to thank President Morehead, Greg and Carla for trusting me with the program. I have been fortunate to have learned under a great coaching tree and have great mentors along the way. I want to thank Coach Landers for all that he has done for me since I have been under his tutelage. The trust and responsibility he gave me definitely prepared me for the next step in my career but more importantly his friendship means the world to me."
During each coaching stop, Crenshaw signed premier prospects and helped those recruits develop into highly successful players. Crenshaw helped Alabama and LSU land top-5 individual prospects in the classes of 2010 and 2011 and led the Crimson Tide 2010 recruiting effort that ranked among the nation’s top 10. She helped Louisiana Tech ink the 2006 Miss Basketball for both Alabama and Mississippi and Troy sign two future Atlantic Sun Freshman of the Year honorees.
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Crenshaw succeeds Andy Landers, the only other full-time women’s basketball coach in the program’s history. Landers retired after compiling an 862-299 record in 36 seasons at Georgia. Landers is one of only seven college basketball coaches — women’s or men’s — to record 850 wins at a single NCAA Division I school.
“Georgia Basketball is in great hands,” Landers told Georgiadogs.com. “Coach Crenshaw is a person who has deep-rooted values and morals, which are two of the cornerstones of Georgia Basketball’s success. Her appreciation for the total development of young women is second to none and her past experiences have prepared her for the challenges ahead. I am confident she will do extremely well. Joni has an excellent basketball IQ, is a tremendous recruiter and is a terrific people person, but above all else, she is someone who young people will aspire to play for and enjoy that same experience.”
“Georgia Basketball is in great hands” – Andy Landers
Crenshaw was the 1997 Gatorade Player of the Year for Mississippi after leading Meridian High to a 67-7 record during her junior and senior seasons. She also won three state titles in track and field and was the school’s Homecoming Queen.
At Alabama, Crenshaw was a two-year starter and scored 716 points, grabbed 555 rebounds and blocked 103 shots, which is No. 4 among the Tide’s career leaders. She played on four teams that reached post-season play — the 1998 and 1999 NCAA Tournaments and the 2000 and 2001 WNITs.
Crenshaw also was a standout off the basketball court. She was recognized as one of the most influential African-Americans on the Alabama campus in 2001, was named to the SEC’s Community Service team for women’s basketball in 1999, 2000 and 2001 and was awarded a post-graduate scholarship from the SEC for her community service record. She received her bachelor’s degree in Education from Alabama in 2002.