Burrows finalizes ‘amazing’ UTC women’s coaching staff

Katie Burrows finalized her first University of Tennessee at Chattanooga coaching staff Friday, and it looks very similar to last season’s group with a couple of responsibility changes.

The biggest difference is that Burrows has moved up from an assistant’s position to head coach.

Debbie Black, a former head coach at Eastern Illinois, has moved from director of operations to assistant coach, joining holdovers Jon Goldberg and Brittany Johnson and director of student-athlete development Ka’Vonne Towns. The lone addition is former Moc Aryanna Gilbert, who will be the program’s student assistant while finishing her final year of graduate school.

Gilbert just finished an All-Southern Conference senior season, averaging 12.6 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.7 assists a game in 2017-18.

“This staff is amazing,” Burrows said in a news release. “I am thrilled that I get to continue to work alongside such great coaches, who are even better people. We work well together and truly enjoy being around each other. It’s going to be a blast!”

Johnson is entering her sixth season with the program. She’ll continue to work with the guards and will be in charge of overseeing academic progress and coordination of all community service engagements. Black also will work with guards and handle scheduling, international recruiting and coordination of summer camps.

“I’m excited for Debbie to be back in a coaching role,” Burrows said. “She has a deep passion for basketball and belongs on the court making players better.”

Goldberg will enter his second season as an assistant and fifth with the program, having spent three prior years as the director of student-athlete development. He will work with the posts and serve as the recruiting and video coordinator.

Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @ genehenley3.