Utah State Women’s Basketball Completes Coaching Staff
Utah State women’s basketball head coach Raegan Pebley announced the addition of Hanna Howard and Danyelle Snelgro to the staff, Friday. Assistant coaches Erin Scholz and Astou Ndiaye-Diatta left Utah State to pursue other opportunities.
“Erin Scholz and Astou Ndiaye-Diatta hold a special place in our program’s development and in our hearts. We are excited for Erin in her new challenge as head coach of Fresno Pacific and we are happy for Astou that she has the opportunity to complete her MBA at Utah State and pursue new professional goals,” Pebley said.
Scholz was with Utah State for four seasons, while Ndiaye-Diatta just completed her second season on the bench.
“There were many amazing candidates that applied for the vacancies on our staff. I believe that has so much to do with the job Erin and Astou did in continuing to build our program as well as the leadership Scott Barnes has provided our department as a whole. Hanna and Danny are great additions to our program and we are excited to get them going,” Pebley said.
Howard spent three seasons as an assistant coach at UC San Diego. She was involved in all aspect of coaching including recruiting, travel, scheduling and player development. Howard also oversaw the program’s summer camps and scouting and video operations.
“Hanna has a passion for this profession. She understands that coaching at the collegiate level is not just a job, it is a lifestyle. She has built herself a strong reputation as a competitive recruiter and excellent on court coach. Her tireless work ethic combined with her ambitious goals have allowed her to gain tremendous experience at UC San Diego and will allow her to make an impact her at USU,” said Pebley.
She helped guide the Tritons to an impressive overall record of 25-5 last season. UCSD won at least 25 games in all three of her seasons. It was the fourth-straight year the Tritons posted at least a 25 win season, an achievement that has never been done before in program history. Last season, UCSD advanced to the Division II West Regional. In 2008-09, the Tritons were ranked as high as No. 3 nationally during the season, claiming their second-straight CCAA Conference Championship.
Prior to UCSD, Howard was a former standout at the University of Portland. A four-year letter-winner at Portland, Howard had her senior year cut short after a tearing a ligament in her knee early during the 2004-05 season. She graduated with a degree in organizational communication in the spring of 2005 and concluded her collegiate career, averaging of 6.6 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 2.4 assists in four seasons with the Pilots.
Howard earned her Master’s degree in coaching and athletic administration in February 2010. The former Hanna Seltzer moves to Logan with her husband, Marques.
“I am honored to be a part of the women’s basketball coaching staff at Utah State and look forward to contributing to its ongoing success. Coach Pebley is highly respected in the coaching profession and the tradition and level of commitment she has built at USU is inspiring. The dedication of the athletic department, coaching staff and players towards success on the court, in the classroom and in the community is impressive, and I’m eager to be a part of it,” Howard said.
Snelgro was a standout point guard for the Aggies from 2006-09. In 2009, Snelgro became the first Utah State women’s basketball player to earn first-team all-Western Athletic Conference honors. She was also named to the WAC all-defensive team. She led the Aggies in scoring (14.2 ppg), assists (128) and steals (73) in 2008-2009. She is one of only six Aggies to reach the 1,000 point milestone for her career and now stands at fifth all-time on the Aggie list with 1,043 career points. She is also USU’s all-time steals leader with 216.
“This is a great privilege for me to be able to come back to my alma mater and coach. I couldn’t have asked for a better opportunity. I feel so blessed and I am ready to contribute,” Snelgro said.
After finishing her senior season at Utah State, Snelgro played professionally in Jyvalsklya, Finland last season. She averaged 14.7 points and 2.8 steals per game. She also averaged 33.3 minutes per game. On Dec. 2, she scored a season-high 29 points against Huima.
“It is very special to have Danny return to our program in the position of assistant coach. Danny has invested a lot into Utah State women’s basketball as a player and has found ways to continue to make an impact as an alumna. Stepping into this new role is a natural next step for her. Her love for Utah State University, the valley, our program is in no doubt infectious. Additionally, her knowledge of our system, the WAC and her institutional knowledge will help smooth her transition,” Pebley said.
The 2010-11 Aggies begin the season in an exhibition against the University of Mary on Friday, Nov. 5 at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum at 7 p.m. USU returns eight letterwinners and two starters from last season’s squad that ended 13-17 overall and 5-11 in WAC play.
Danyelle Snelgrove