Earl Promoted To Assistant Coach

BOULDER - Colorado women's basketball coach JR Payne announced that Alex Earl has been promoted to Assistant Coach. Earl will replace Jeff Cammon, who accepted the head coaching position at Long Beach State earlier this month.

Earl's 2016-17 season at CU
The move is a return to the basketball floor in a coaching role for Earl, who served as Colorado's Director of Player Development in 2016-17 in both her and the coaching staff's first season at CU. As Director of Player Development, she was responsible for CU's film breakdown for practices and games, and served as the team's liaison with the nutrition and sports performance staffs.

Earl's work off the floor helped the Buffs to one of the best single-season turnarounds in school history as they more than doubled their win total from the previous year. CU finished the year 17-16 overall and tied for ninth in the Pac-12, a year after a last-place finish in the conference. The Buffs also reached the third round of the WNIT, their first postseason appearance since 2014.

Throughout the 2016-17, Colorado was impressive. CU started the season 10-0 for just the fifth time in school history, including a win over No. 15/19 Kentucky. The 10-game winning streak was Colorado's longest since 2012. In Pac-12 play, the Buffs' signature win came on Feb. 12 when they upset No. 24 California on the road, their first win over a ranked team on the road since 2007.

Earl's coaching history
She is entering her third year in a row working under Payne after previously serving as an assistant coach under Payne at Santa Clara in 2015-16. She began her coaching career at Lamar Community College in 2013-14 and then spent the following year as an assistant at Eastern Washington.

At Lamar as the team's top assistant, the Runnin' Lopes had their best record in school history. At EWU, Earl helped the Eagles to a 22-12 record and the second round of the WNIT. With Payne's staff at Santa Clara, the Broncos also reached the WNIT and finished with a 23-9 record, including an upset on the road at No. 13 Stanford.

Earl's college career
An Oregon native, Earl was a four-year letterwinner at Arizona State, helping lead the women's basketball team to four consecutive 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 Devils program history in multiple three-point shooting categories. She earned her bachelor's degree in communications from ASU in 2013.

Quotable
JR Payne, head coach:
"We are excited to announce that Alex is moving in to the Assistant Coach position here at CU. First and foremost, Alex is an incredible person; she is genuine, honest, hard-working and has a very selfless spirit. She cares deeply about the growth and development of the young women in our program. Alex was a standout player in the Pac-12 and is going to be a great assistant coach as well. When Alex coached with us at Santa Clara, she was a huge part of our perimeter player development and helped grow and mentor the young players in our program. We are thankful that we will continue to have the opportunity to work side-by-side with someone who is very much part of the Buff Family."

Alex Earl:
"I am so extremely blessed to have been asked to be an assistant coach here at Colorado and be back on the floor. Being a Pac-12 assistant has always been a dream of mine, and to do it at such a prestigious university and program with a staff I consider family is a dream come true."

Colorado University Athletics

Related News

Related Videos