Colorado University Athletics
Women's Basketball
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
- Email:
- aisha.veasley@colorado.edu
- Phone:
- 303-492-6086
Aisha Veasley, the longest tenured assistant coach on the CU staff, begins her fifth season at Colorado as she continues to put her mark on the Buffaloes program through recruiting and player development both on and off the court.
Veasley, who is in her ninth season on a Kathy McConnell-Miller led staff, is the co-recruiting coordinator, assists with post development and is the team's liaison with life skills and student athlete issues.
Veasley, 32, has been a key component in bringing in three top 40 recruiting classes to Boulder, in the last four seasons, including the No. 32 class in 2009 according to ESPN HoopGirlz.
Colorado's commitment to keep instate players at home is as evident as ever as the Buffaloes signed three players from within the state boundaries. Twin sisters Meagan and Brenna Malcolm-Peck, Boulder natives who played at Horizon High School, join Chucky Jeffery, the top player out of the Colorado Springs Area. Regional additions of Kailah Bailey and Melissa MacFarlane, both of Omaha, Neb., accent CU's nationally recognized class.
In 2006, the Buffs had the No. 29 ranked class, signing five top 150 players, a feat even more impressive considering the staff did not arrive on campus until well after the recruiting season had started. The Buffs claimed one of the top recruits in Colorado - a priority for the McConnell-Miller staff - in Aija Putnina who helped Regis to the Class 4A championship game.
On the court, Veasley assists in post development, she helped develop the skills of one of the Big 12 Conference's best front court players in recent history, in three-time All-Big 12 selection Jackie McFarland (2004-08) and continues to groom current rising stars such as Brittany Spears, Julie Seabrook and the Malcolm-Peck sisters.
Veasley returned to coaching at the collegiate level in 2005 after a two-year stint in private business, joining a Colorado staff she was more than familiar with as she was a part of CU head coach Kathy McConnell-Miller's original staff at the University of Tulsa in 1999.
"Aisha is an outstanding recruiter. Her strength is her ability to build great relationships with the players, coaches and families. In addition to recruiting she will assist with on court coaching, player development and opponent scouting. Aisha brings such energy and enthusiasm to our staff and our program. She is one of the brightest young coaches in our game."
Alongside McConnell-Miller, Veasley helped to build Tulsa from a perennial cellar dweller to a competitive presence in the Western Athletic Conference. Prior to the staff's arrival in 1999-00, Tulsa had just 21 total wins in the previous three seasons and only 81 in the 14-year history of the program, which was discontinued from 1987-96. In 1999-00, Tulsa won 14 games and recorded a team-best fourth place finish in the WAC at 9-5. The Tulsa staff was rewarded accordingly in the postseason as McConnell-Miller was named WAC Coach of the Year.
In all Veasley was a part of 53 wins at Tulsa and saw numerous other firsts during her tenure. She helped coach the Golden Hurricane's first All-WAC first team performer in Leela Farr in 2001-02 and Allison Curtin who earned honorable mention to the Associated Press All-America team and was TU's first WNBA draft pick going to the Houston Comets in the first round with the 12th overall pick in 2003.
Veasley was promoted to a full-time recruiting position for the 2001-02 season. In addition to her coaching duties, which focused on post player development, she was responsible for evaluating recruits, monitored student-athlete affairs for the program, was in charge of the Golden Hurricane travel arrangements and served as the team's community service coordinator.
Veasley left Tulsa in the summer of 2003 to pursue other professional interests. She was the assistant coach and a player for the Everyone's Internet exhibition team out of Houston in 2003 where she was responsible for post player development, coordination of team travel and budget management for team travel and player salaries. Additionally, Veasley worked as a sales consultant for David Powers Homes in Houston before joining the CU staff.
A native of Los Angeles, Veasley was a four-year letterwinner at UCLA from 1994-98. She served as team captain during the 1997-98 season helping the Bruins to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Veasley earned the UCLA Coaches Award in 1998 and was the team's Most Inspirational Player award winner in 1997.
She earned her bachelor's degree in history with a specialization in business from UCLA in 1999. Veasley served as an assistant coach at her prep alma mater, Valley Christian High School, for the 1998-99 season. Her younger sister Jamila graduated from UCLA in 2004 and played for seasons for the Bruins at forward (2000-04). Her younger brother Sean is a senior on the track & field team at Utah State.
