Wells-Broughton named assistant coach at LSU
5/7/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
May 7, 2007
FORT WORTH, Texas - As TCU's women's basketball program continues to build on its streak of being one of just 12 programs to reach the NCAA Tournament each of the last seven seasons, the lure of the Lady Frogs' success continues to grow among the coaching ranks. That lure was recently documented again with Yolanda Wells-Broughton accepting an assistant coaching position at LSU.
An assistant for three seasons at TCU under head coach Jeff Mittie, Wells-Broughton is the second assistant from the 2006-07 season to be hired by another Division I program this off-season. Former associate head coach Larry Tidwell accepted the head coaching position at Lamar in March.
"Yolanda was a big part of our success the last three years," Mittie said. "It was a unique opportunity for her to get closer to her family and work for another great program. We wish her and her family the best and we will miss all they have done for TCU."
By joining the coaching staff at LSU, Wells-Broughton is returning to the state where she began her coaching career in 1997 as a graduate assistant at Grambling State (Grambling, La.). Wells-Broughton played for the Lady Tigers from 1993-1995 and earned a bachelor's degree and master's degree during her time at Grambling State. As a player at GSU, Wells-Broughton helped the Lady Tigers earn their first NCAA Tournament bid in 1994.
At LSU, Wells-Broughton will work under first-year head coach Van Chancellor. Wells-Broughton joins an LSU program that has advanced to the Final Four each of the last four seasons.
A native of Houston, Texas, Wells-Broughton joined TCU's staff on June 10, 2004 and served as an on-the-floor coach working primarily with the post players. She was also heavily involved in advanced scouting, film exchange, editing and recruiting. While at TCU, the Lady Frogs were 63-33 (.656 winning percentage) and advanced to the Big Dance each season.
Prior to joining the TCU coaching staff, Wells-Broughton helped coach Michael Landers and the Trinity Valley Community College Lady Cardinals win their fifth National Junior College Athletic Association championship in 2004. The Athens, Texas, based team posted a perfect 36-0 record, went 18-0 in conference play and led the nation in scoring with 101.7 points per game.
The Lady Cardinals put up some impressive numbers when Wells-Broughton joined the staff in July 2000. The team went 126-8 (.940) during that span and saw 19 of its players sign National Letters of Intent with NCAA Division I institutions. Trinity Valley also owned a 50-game conference winning streak and a 78-game regular-season winning streak when Wells-Broughton left the school.
Before coming aboard with Trinity Valley, Wells-Broughton was the head coach for Paul Quinn College in Dallas during the 1998-99 and 1999-00 seasons. She was responsible for all phases of coaching for the National Intercollegiate Athletic Association school, from budgeting and scheduling to fund raising and community outreach. Additionally, she was an academic coordinator during her two years with the college.
Her husband Vernon Broughton is no stranger to athletics. He played in the Arena Football League for five seasons as an offensive and defensive lineman with the now defunct Iowa Barnstormers and the Chicago Rush. While with the Barnstormers, Broughton was a teammate of NFL quarterback and 1999 league MVP Kurt Warner.
Wells-Broughton and her husband were married in February 2001. The couple has son, Vernon Jr., and a toddler daughter, Asia.
