UO release – EUGENE, Ore. – Oregon head women’s basketball coach Kelly Graves has hired former Utah assistant coach Jerise Freeman to serve as the team’s assistant coach and recruiting coordinator, the program announced Wednesday. Freeman comes to Eugene after spending the last three seasons with the Utes, where she helped lead the team to three straight NCAA Tournament appearances, including a trip to the Sweet 16 in 2023. Prior to her time in Salt Lake, Freeman served as an assistant at Oklahoma State for four seasons. “We are so excited to add someone of Jerise’s caliber to our staff,” Graves said. “Her energy is contagious and her recruiting and coaching resume speaks for itself, as she has experienced tremendous success at two different Power 5 programs. She is a great fit for our team and community and we cannot wait to get to work.” “I am thrilled to embark on this new journey with Oregon women’s basketball,” said Freeman. “I feel incredibly lucky to have the opportunity to learn from and work with Coach Graves and his amazing staff. Joining the vibrant Eugene community fills me with absolute joy, and I cannot wait to contribute to the program’s success.” Her first season in Salt Lake saw the Utes qualify for their first NCAA Tournament since 2011, setting a single-season school record with 312 made 3-pointers in the process. Guard Gianna Kneepkens, under the tutelage of Freeman, earned Pac-12 Freshman of the Year honors that season. Freeman also saw 2023 Pac-12 Player of the Year Alissa Pili be taken eighth overall in last year’s WNBA Draft by the Minnesota Lynx, the program’s highest draft pick since 2006. While at Oklahoma State, Freeman helped guide the Cowgirls to a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances (2018, 2021) while advancing to the second round both times. Five players earned all-America honors under her watch, with two being drafted into the WNBA (Loryn Goodwin, Natasha Mack). Prior to her time in Stillwater, Freeman spent three seasons as an assistant at Eastern Washington, where the Eagles finished with a 19-14 record in her final season and reached the semifinal round of the Women’s Basketball Invitational. Freeman also spent two seasons at Newman University in Wichita, Kan., after serving as Missouri State’s director of basketball operations in 2011-12. She got her full-time start in collegiate coaching at Butler Community College in El Dorado, Kan., in 2008. A native of Wichita, Kan., Freeman’s collegiate playing days began at Seward County Community College, where she helped her team to a combined 67-8 record over two seasons. Freeman finished her playing career at Pacific (Calif.), averaging 13.2 points and 7.2 rebounds per game her senior season. She earned her bachelor’s degree in sociology with a focus in criminal justice from Pacific in 2007.
