Kayla Ard named next head coach of USU women’s hoops
After struggling through a full season under its interim coach, Utah State’s women’s basketball will have a new direction under newly announced head coach Kayla Ard.
“I am truly blessed, thankful and honored to be the head women’s basketball coach at Utah State University,” Ard said in a press release, later adding, “This is a dream come true for me.”
Welcome to the #AggieFamily @Kayla_Ard!
"I am truly blessed, thankful and honored to be the head women’s basketball coach at Utah State. Logan is a special place, and I felt that the second I stepped on campus and met the people."
➡️ https://t.co/jBkhusyjZT#AggiesAllTheWay pic.twitter.com/uREaVTNBMU
— USU Women's Hoops (@USUWBasketball) March 23, 2020
Ard, who was most recently an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Denver University, held similar roles at Dayton, Clemson, Troy and Pensacola State across a 10-year coaching career. For the last 11 games of 2019-20 at Denver, Ard was elevated to interim head coach, taking over an 8-11 squad and going 7-4 to finish with an even .500 record of 15-15. The Pioneers finished third in the Summit League standings.
In USU’s press release, Athletics Director, John Hartwell, listed off a long list of attributes the athletics department wanted to see in its next women’s basketball head coach.
“High energy, tireless recruiter, impeccable work ethic, strong basketball knowledge, committed to player development,” Hartwell said. “And a great fit for Utah State and Cache Valley.”
The epithet “tireless recruiter” could very easily apply to Ard, who has had numerous great recruiting classes among her many roles. According to ESPN recruiting rankings, she has brought in 11 players who were top-50 players at their positions and recruited four junior college All-Americans. In 2015, while with Dayton, her work led in part to the 19th-best recruiting class in the nation. And in her first year with Denver, the Pioneers pulled off the top recruiting class in the Summit League according to ASGR Basketball.
“Kayla’s passion for the game and her high-enery level are clearly on display in the student athletes she recruits and coaches,” Hartwell said. “I am excited for our women’s basketball student-athletes to learn and develop under Kayla’s leadership. I am also excited for our women’s basketball fan base to see this exciting brand of basketball. Today is a great day for the future of Utah State women’s basketball.”
Ard’s hiring follows the tenure of Jerry Finkbeiner, who coached the Aggies to a 96-124 record in six full seasons. Finkbeiner underwent a medical leave of absence at the start of the 2019-20 season, which later became a permanent retirement. His son, Ben, an assistant coach with the team, served as interim head coach for the duration of USU’s 8-23 season that saw the Aggies finish last in the Mountain West standings.