Elliott added to Huskies’ coaching staff

Jamelle Elliott is permanently joining Geno Auriemma’s coaching staff, UConn announced Wednesday.

Elliott, a UConn graduate and former Cincinnati head coach, served as an interim assistant coach after Jasmine Lister left the program in February. Elliott played on UConn’s 1995 NCAA title team and was an assistant under Auriemma from 1998 to 2009.

“We are extremely excited to have Jamelle join our coaching staff,” Auriemma said in a statement. “Having the experience here as a player and coach, as well as head coaching experience for nine years, I can’t think of anyone that could bring more to our players, staff and university. Jamelle means the world to me personally and having her back is a dream come true.”

As Cincinnati’s coach from 2009 to 2018, Elliott’s team earned two postseason berths.

In a Zoom call with reporters Wednesday, Auriemma praised Elliott as a “great teacher, a great communicator, a great recruiter.”

“Jas was able to do a lot when she was here. When we had to find a replacement for her, we were very fortunate that we had somebody right in our own building,” Auriemma said. “Imagine if you put it out on the street, ‘Hey, UConn women’s basketball is look

ing for a full-time assistant,’ and then all of a sudden you get an application in the mail. ‘I was an assistant coach for 14 years, I won this many national championships, I won a national championship as a player, I was a head coach for nine years and I was an administrator.’

“I think my administration would go, ‘(Darn), we want you to take over for

our coach.’ ”

Elliott finished her playing career as UConn’s No. 2 all-time rebounder (1,054) and was No. 5 in Big East career rebounding (558). She was also No. 11 on UConn’s scoring list (1,387).

She is also among the career leaders in games (135). She did not miss a game or practice as a player.

The Huskies were 117-18 during Elliott’s four years.

After coaching Cincinnati, Elliott returned to UConn as the Associate Athletic Director for The

National C Club — an alumni student-athlete organization comprised of UConn’s alumni athletes that competed at least one year while a member of a varsity sport during their time at UConn.

Elliott graduated in 1996 with a degree in business management and earned her master’s in sport management from UConn in 1997.