Arizona Wildcats coach Adia Barnes didn't wait long to fill out her staff.
Morgan Valley was named the UA's new assistant coach Wednesday night. She spent the previous two seasons at Washington under coach Mike Neighbors. Barnes worked alongside Valley during the 2015-16 season. Valley and Barnes were both considered as replacements for Neighbors when he left the Huskies earlier this month to become the new head coach at Arkansas.
Valley won three national championships as a player at UConn. Her teams went a combined 139-8 over four seasons (2000-04). She replaces former UA assistant Kelly Rae Finley, who left last week for a similar position at Florida.
“Morgan is who I wanted from day one and I think this is the best hire in the country,” Barnes said. “She comes from a championship pedigree having won three National Championships at UConn, while playing in four Final Fours. Morgan’s addition not only gives us an incredible basketball mind, but a specialist in player development and scouting, and a coach who knows how to build a championship culture. I have known her for many years and would go to battle with her any day. She can instill her work ethic and mentality into our players. She can also relate to them because she has been there, and that has extreme value to me. She was instrumental in the success of Kelsey Plum and Chantel Osahor at Washington. Not too many coaches have her background. Morgan is the complete package and is a perfect complement to our staff.”
Said Valley: “Adia is building something special here and I am honored to be a part of it. This is truly an exciting time to be at the University of Arizona and I feel like the best is yet to come.”
Valley went into coaching when her playing career was over, starting as a student assistant at UConn before taking jobs at Holy Cross, Towson, New Hampshire and UMass. She served as a Virginia Tech assistant before moving to Washington.
