Ashley McElhiney
Encyclopedia
Ashley Reneé McElhiney is an American
basketball
coach and former college player. She is best known for having been the first female coach of a male professional basketball team, as the coach of the Nashville Rhythm
of the American Basketball Association in the 2004-05 season.
, she attended Gleason School in Gleason, Tennessee
. As a senior, she averaged 17.7 points and 4.0 assists a game. She was the all-time leading scorer at Gleason School with 2,073 points and all-time assists leader with 604.
McElhiney was honored for her high school performance in 1999 as the Tennessee State 1A Miss Basketball.
She attended Vanderbilt University
in Nashville, Tennessee
from 1999-2003 and was awarded the Most Outstanding Defensive Player in 2001, 2002, and 2003 at the position of guard. During that same time period, she was named as Tennessee State Amateur Athlete of the Year for 2002. She was also named as her team's 2001 co-MVP, along with her friend and teammate Chantelle Anderson
.
In the 2003 WNBA Draft
, she was drafted as the 3rd round selection of the Indiana Fever
, but was released before playing any games.
McElhiney became the first female coach of a male professional basketball team in 2004, when she was hired to coach the American Basketball Association's Nashville Rhythm
.
Her coaching career got off to a good start, with the Rhythm achieving a 9-2 record at the start of the season and McElhiney being reported to have the support of the male Rhythm players. Dontae' Jones
, a former NBA
player then with the Rhythm, was quoted as saying, "It’s going to go a long way toward how women succeed from here on .... If I can help her continue to raise that bar, then I’m doing my job." Another Rhythm player, Adam Sonn, commented, "She comes in, and it’s just normal. It’s just a coach coaching." http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6726369
The Rhythm's season was marred by an incident in which one of the team's co-owners, Sally Anthony, attempted to fire McElhiney in the middle of a game on January 29, 2005, on the grounds that McElhiney was playing Matt Freije
after Anthony insisted that Freije be benched. http://www4.cnnsi.com/2005/basketball/more/01/30/bc.bko.aba.femalecoachf.ap/index.html McElhiney nevertheless finished coaching the game, which the Rhythm won. http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/news/story?id=1980457 She was reinstated as coach by decision of the team's other two co-owners before the team's next game. http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/news/story?id=2004281
The Rhythm finished with a 21-10 record, qualifying for the playoffs and the chance to host a first-round playoff game. However, the team's owners chose to withdraw the team from the postseason, stating, "We've lost several players and felt we were not ready for the playoffs." http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/news/story?id=2002457 McElhiney resigned as coach later the same week. http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/news/story?id=2004281
as the director of women's basketball operations. Her former Vanderbilt University
teammate Ashley Earley
also joined as the graduate assistant coach.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
coach and former college player. She is best known for having been the first female coach of a male professional basketball team, as the coach of the Nashville Rhythm
Nashville Rhythm
The Nashville Rhythm was a team in the American Basketball Association which began play in the 2004-05 season. It was one of the first teams composed of male athletes ever to compete at such a high level with a female head coach, former Vanderbilt University star Ashley McElhiney...
of the American Basketball Association in the 2004-05 season.
Early life and playing career
Born to parents Danny and Sandra McElhiney in Martin, TennesseeMartin, Tennessee
Martin is a city in Weakley County, Tennessee, United States. Martin is the home of the University of Tennessee at Martin. The population was 10,515 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Martin is located at ....
, she attended Gleason School in Gleason, Tennessee
Gleason, Tennessee
Gleason is a town in Weakley County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 1,463 at the 2000 census. The city also holds the annual Tater Town Parade and festival in the fall...
. As a senior, she averaged 17.7 points and 4.0 assists a game. She was the all-time leading scorer at Gleason School with 2,073 points and all-time assists leader with 604.
McElhiney was honored for her high school performance in 1999 as the Tennessee State 1A Miss Basketball.
She attended Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University is a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the...
in Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
from 1999-2003 and was awarded the Most Outstanding Defensive Player in 2001, 2002, and 2003 at the position of guard. During that same time period, she was named as Tennessee State Amateur Athlete of the Year for 2002. She was also named as her team's 2001 co-MVP, along with her friend and teammate Chantelle Anderson
Chantelle Anderson
Chantelle Denise Anderson, pronounced "shawn-tell", is a retired collegiate and professional basketball player who has played in the Women's National Basketball Association and overseas.-Personal:...
.
In the 2003 WNBA Draft
2003 WNBA Draft
The 2003 WNBA Draft, both the dispersal draft and the regular WNBA draft, took place on April 24. The dispersal draft involved players from the rosters of the Portland Fire and Miami Sol teams which had both folded after the 2002 season....
, she was drafted as the 3rd round selection of the Indiana Fever
Indiana Fever
The Indiana Fever is a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2000 season began...
, but was released before playing any games.
Coaching career
McElhiney is currently an assistant coach at her alma mater, Gleason School, at both the junior high and high school level. She also served as an assistant at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. She was hired as assistant coach of the Lady Mocs in July 2007. UTC was 29-4 with McElhiney on its bench.McElhiney became the first female coach of a male professional basketball team in 2004, when she was hired to coach the American Basketball Association's Nashville Rhythm
Nashville Rhythm
The Nashville Rhythm was a team in the American Basketball Association which began play in the 2004-05 season. It was one of the first teams composed of male athletes ever to compete at such a high level with a female head coach, former Vanderbilt University star Ashley McElhiney...
.
Her coaching career got off to a good start, with the Rhythm achieving a 9-2 record at the start of the season and McElhiney being reported to have the support of the male Rhythm players. Dontae' Jones
Dontae' Jones
Dontae' Antijuaine Jones is an American professional basketball player, formerly of the Boston Celtics of the NBA....
, a former NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
player then with the Rhythm, was quoted as saying, "It’s going to go a long way toward how women succeed from here on .... If I can help her continue to raise that bar, then I’m doing my job." Another Rhythm player, Adam Sonn, commented, "She comes in, and it’s just normal. It’s just a coach coaching." http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6726369
The Rhythm's season was marred by an incident in which one of the team's co-owners, Sally Anthony, attempted to fire McElhiney in the middle of a game on January 29, 2005, on the grounds that McElhiney was playing Matt Freije
Matt Freije
Matthew Wayne Freije is a Lebanese American professional basketball player who currently plays for Hebraica y Macabi in Uruguay. Freije attended Shawnee Mission West High School in Overland Park, Kansas before attending Vanderbilt University where he was an All-SEC performer...
after Anthony insisted that Freije be benched. http://www4.cnnsi.com/2005/basketball/more/01/30/bc.bko.aba.femalecoachf.ap/index.html McElhiney nevertheless finished coaching the game, which the Rhythm won. http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/news/story?id=1980457 She was reinstated as coach by decision of the team's other two co-owners before the team's next game. http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/news/story?id=2004281
The Rhythm finished with a 21-10 record, qualifying for the playoffs and the chance to host a first-round playoff game. However, the team's owners chose to withdraw the team from the postseason, stating, "We've lost several players and felt we were not ready for the playoffs." http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/news/story?id=2002457 McElhiney resigned as coach later the same week. http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/news/story?id=2004281
Administrative career
In June, 2005, McElhiney joined the athletic department staff at the University of AlabamaUniversity of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
as the director of women's basketball operations. Her former Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University is a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the...
teammate Ashley Earley
Ashley Earley
Ashley Earley was born to parents Lee and Linda Earley and raised in Memphis, Tennessee. She attended Briarcrest HS in Memphis. Earley was named a WBCA All-American...
also joined as the graduate assistant coach.
External links
- Gleason School, 92-99 State Championship Drive, Gleason, Tennessee
- Sports Illustrated: Jumping through Hoops (2004-05-19)
- NPR: Woman Coach Stirs Up Men's Pro Basketball League (2005-02-05)
- Gleason: Welcome Back Ashley Mac! (2005-02-05
- NashvilleRhythm.com
- Ashley Earley Joins Teammate at Alabama (2005-05-26)
- Ashley McElhiney Director of Basketball Operations (2005-06-02)