Colorado University Athletics
Payne Adds Pair To Women's Basketball Staff
April 26, 2016 | Women's Basketball
University of Colorado head women's basketball coach JR Payne announced the addition of Alex Earl and Jill Mahoney to the team's coaching staff on Tuesday. Earl was named Director of Player Development and Mahoney joins the Buffaloes as the Director of Operations.
BOULDER –University of Colorado head women's basketball coach JR Payne announced the addition of Alex Earl and Jill Mahoney to the team's coaching staff on Tuesday. Earl was named Director of Player Development and Mahoney joins the Buffaloes as the Director of Operations.
Earl comes to Boulder after working as an assistant coach for one season under Payne at Santa Clara University and Mahoney previously spent two years at Western State Colorado University as Associate Athletic Director and Senior Women's Administrator.
A 2013 graduate from Arizona State, Earl returns to the Centennial State after beginning her coaching career at Lamar Community College in Lamar, Colo. where she was the top assistant and recruiting coordinator for one year. During her time in southeast Colorado, she helped guide the Runnin' Lopes to its best record since its establishment in 2007, Earl then spent two seasons as an assistant at Eastern Washington before joining Payne at Santa Clara for the 2015-16 season.
"Alex has great knowledge of the game," said Payne. "She was very well coached in a great program at Arizona State so she's had great teachers around her. She develops strong relationships with the players and is very passionate about whatever she is doing. Alex brings great energy and is always a positive, upbeat person."
An Oregon native, Earl was a four-year letterwinner at ASU, helping lead the women's basketball team to four straight postseason appearances, highlighted by a trip to the Elite Eight in 2009. A three-point shooting threat throughout her collegiate career, she ranks in the top 10 in Sun Devil program history in multiple three-point shooting categories. Earl earned her bachelor's degree in communications.
"I'm excited to get back to the Pac-12 and the opportunity to continue to work with JR, [associate head coach] Toriano [Towns] and [assistant coach] Shandrika [Lee]," Earl said. "I'm looking forward to being part of the process and working toward building a program from the ground up. I have so much faith in JR and Toriano, what they do, how they run things and the culture they create so it's going to be a lot of fun learning and growing together as a team."
Mahoney handled internal operations for the athletic department in addition to serving as the head compliance officer in her role as Associate Athletic Director and SWA for the Western State Mountaineers. It was her second stint with Western after she spent one year as an assistant coach on the 2011-12 women's basketball staff. During her tenure, she played a key role in guiding the team to the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Shootout Championship game.
Prior to her role in Western State's athletic administration, Mahoney was an assistant coach at Southern Utah University from 2012-14 when Payne was at the helm. Mahoney helped lead Southern Utah to the program's first national postseason appearance and first conference championship over her two-year term. In addition to her coaching duties, Mahoney coordinated team travel, monitored academic progress, created scouting reports, coordinated game film and managed community service for the Thunderbirds.
"Jill is one of the most organized, fantastic, passionate people we have ever been able to work with before and we're very excited we have that opportunity again," said Payne. "She's going to be great in helping us maximize what we're capable of doing. She is a perfect fit for this position."
Before her first term with the Mountaineers, Mahoney made her coaching debut as an assistant at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Ariz. In four years on the Antelopes' staff, she helped GCU win a trio of Pacific West Conference Championships and the team made two appearances in the NCAA Division II National Tournament, first in 2010 and then again in 2011 with the squad advancing to the Sweet Sixteen.
"I'm looking forward to building on the foundation of this program and developing a winning culture while working with my best friends again," said Mahoney. "There's so much tradition and history here at Colorado and it's really exciting to be part of this rich tradition."
Mahoney, a Russell, Kan. native, was named the Newcomer of the Year and earned a first-team all-conference selection during her three-year playing career at Bethany College in Lindsborg, Kan. A standout guard-forward, she then spent her final year of eligibility at Grand Canyon, leading the team to a perfect record in conference play and also received all-conference honors. Mahoney earned her bachelor's degree in corporate fitness and wellness, and a master's degree in education administration both from Grand Canyon.
