Women's Basketball
- Title:
- Assistant Coach / Assistant AD for Operations
- Email:
- jessie.craig@tcu.edu
Jessie Craig is in her third season with TCU women's basketball, serving in a dual role of assistant coach and director of operations.
Craig's chief responsibilities include on-court coaching for all position groups, serving as the program's compliance liaison, and streamlining the day-to-day operations of the program. Craig is also the team travel coordinator and budget manager, liaison to the TCU Frog Club and equipment staff, and oversees the roles and responsibilities of team managers.
With Craig on the sidelines, TCU has enjoyed the greatest turnaround in college basketball. In 2024-25, Craig helped lead TCU to a sweep of the Big 12 regular season and tournament championships, a No. 2 overall seed and run to the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament, a school record 34 victories and final AP Top 25 ranking of No. 6. Craig was an integral member of the first TCU men's or women's basketball coaching staff to win a Big 12 basketball title and to reach the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament. Her first season in Fort Worth saw TCU boost its win tally by 13 games after finishing 8-23 overall and 1-17 in Big 12 play the year prior. TCU concluded the 2023-24 season with a 21-12 overall record, achieved a season-high AP top-25 ranking of No. 23 and advanced to the second round of the WBIT for the program's first postseason berth in five years.
She has mentored three All-Big 12 players and two All-Americans in her two seasons with the Horned Frogs, including 2024 Olympian and Big 12 Player of the Year Hailey Van Lith. Craig's contributions have helped TCU land the nation's most sought after players in the transfer portal. TCU has signed 18 portal players following Craig and TCU head coach Mark Campbell's arrival, a group that includes Van Lith, fellow All-Americans Olivia Miles and Sedona Prince and 2025 WNBA Draft third round draft pick Madison Conner.
A 10-year coaching veteran of the sport, Craig came to TCU following a yearlong stint as an assistant coach at NCAA Division II Regis University. She previously spent five seasons on the bench at her alma mater, Alaska Fairbanks, serving as the Nanooks’ interim head coach in 2021-2022.
Craig and Campbell first crossed paths during her tenure as the varsity girls basketball head coach at West Valley High School in Fairbanks, Alaska, from 2013-2017. There, she coached Ruthy Hebard, who starred at Oregon from 2017-2020 during Campbell’s run as associate head coach. Campbell developed a relationship with Craig while recruiting Hebard before eventually mentoring the 6-4 forward into the No. 8 overall pick of the 2020 WNBA Draft.
Craig helped return Regis to the pinnacle of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) during her stay in Colorado. With Craig serving as the Rangers’ lead assistant coach, Regis concluded the 2022-2023 campaign with a 25-7 overall record and 19-3 mark in league play. The Rangers swept the RMAC regular season and tournament championships for the first time since 2006-2007 on their way to earning the No. 3 overall seed in the South Central Regional of the NCAA Tournament.
Individually, Craig coached four players to postseason All-RMAC accolades, including guard Erin Fry, who received All-South Central Region first team and WBCA All-American honorable mention citations.
Throughout her tenure at Alaska Fairbanks, Craig leant her efforts to all aspects of team operations in addition to her coaching duties. She was responsible for player development and opponent scouting while also spearheading the Nanooks’ strength and conditioning program.
The Nanooks also shined in the classroom with Craig in the program’s coaching fold. Alaska Fairbanks saw 23 players earn Great Northwest Athletic Conference All-Academic honors throughout Craig’s five years on the sidelines. While acting as the program’s interim head coach, the Nanooks posted a 3.60 cumulative grade point average for the 2021-2022 academic year.
Craig broke into coaching at the high school level in her hometown at West Valley. She produced a 78-27 prep head coaching record over her four years at West Valley, leading the team to a trio of state championship tournaments and a runner-up finish in 2014-2015.
Her run at West Valley overlapped with an assistant coaching role with the Lathrop High School boys varsity basketball team from 2010-2014. Craig helped Lathrop win three regional championships and notch three state tournament appearances.
A Fairbanks, Alaska native, Craig enjoyed a four-year playing career for Alaska Fairbanks from 2007-2011 before transitioning to the coaching ranks. She earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering in 2011.
