Kansas women’s basketball has added new faces to its coaching staff for the 2026-27 season. Here’s more on what Brandon Schneider thinks about that.
LAWRENCE — KU women’s basketball has hired a pair of Kansas natives to join the coaching staff, the team announced in April.
One is Jerise Freeman, who most recently was an assistant coach/recruiting coordinator at Oregon. She’s from Wichita, Kansas. She’s coached for nearly two decades in college, including at Utah and Oklahoma State, and will be the team’s new assistant head coach.
The second is Jayci Stone, who most recently was the director of student-athlete development at Arkansas. She’s from Goodland, Kansas. Her also-extensive coaching history includes time at Kansas State and TCU, and she’ll be an assistant coach for KU.
“Jerise and Jayci both have extensive experience both in college basketball and the Big 12 Conference,” Schneider said in a KU release. “They are proven court coaches as it relates to teaching the game and developing players. Their strong, national recruiting ties will greatly benefit us as we continue to improve and advance our program.”
Schneider added: “Jerise and Jayci will be incredible mentors for our young women both on and off the court and we are excited to bring them back to their home state.”
The release detailed those two will join Brock McGinnis and Patrick Schrater on the team’s coaching staff for the 2026-27 campaign, with McGinnis being the associate head coach and Schrater the assistant coach/recruiting coordinator. Former associate head coach Morgan Paige was hired as the new head coach at Loyola Chicago. Karyla Knight was an assistant coach on this past season’s team, but was not listed in the release.
KU finished this past season at 22-14 overall, falling short of the NCAA tournament for the second-straight year. It did reach the second round of the Big 12 Conference tournament, and semifinals of the WBIT. With guard S’Mya Nichols and forward Jaliya Davis set to return as the Jayhawks’ leading duo, aspirations will be to get back to the NCAA tournament next season.
“I'm excited to be back in my home state of Kansas and it feels right,” Freeman said. “I'm honored and ready for the opportunity to work with this group of great coaches and players. I can’t wait to see what we build. The best is yet to come. Rock Chalk!”
Stone noted: “My Rock Chalk roots have brought so much joy to my life, and I can’t wait to share that enthusiasm with my family in Lawrence. I’m humbled to get to work in such a basketball rich environment. Coach Schneider and his staff laid the blueprint for success, and I can’t be more grateful to continue that journey with them.”
Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. He was the 2022 National Sports Media Association’s sportswriter of the year for the state of Kansas. Contact him at [email protected] or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: What Brandon Schneider said on KU women’s basketball staff additions
Category: General Sports
