Georgia State University Women's Basketball

Gene Hill is in his eighth season as the head coach of the Georgia State women's basketball program.   Named the Georgia State head coach by Director of Athletics Charlie Cobb on April 19, 2018, Hill brought strong ties to Atlanta and a track record of winning as an assistant coach at Power 5 conference programs. He took over as the 11th head coach in GSU history after five seasons on the staff at NC State, which followed a four-year stint at Georgia Tech.   In his first season at the helm, Hill led the Panthers to a historic season in 2018-19, going 17-14 (11-7 Sun Belt) and earning a bid to the WBI, GSU’s first postseason appearance since 2003. Hill’s first year marked the winningest season in GSU history since 2003-04. The seven-win improvement in conference play from the previous year ranked fifth in Division I, and the team’s 11 Sun Belt wins were the most conference wins for GSU since 2004-05. Jada Lewis earned All-Sun Belt honors along with Allison Johnson, and Johnson was named Sun Belt Newcomer of the Year. The Panthers set a school single-season record for most 3-pointers made.   He led one of the youngest teams in Division I in 2019-20 with six freshmen averaging at least 10 minutes per game. The Panthers defeated New Mexico State on Nov. 29 in El Paso, Texas for the program’s 600th win. Senior Shaq Miller-McCray ranked in the national Top 25 with 71 blocked shots on the season, and redshirt junior Jada Lewis became the 22nd Panther all-time to reach 1,000 career points.   Hill and his staff navigated the Covid-19 environment throughout a challenging 2020-21 season, leading GSU to a winning season for the second time in his first three years. The Panthers won the final three games of the regular season to earn the No. 2 seed in the East at the conference tournament. It was the first time the program had earned a No. 2 seed since 2001. Taylor Hosendove earned All-Sun Belt honors after ranking 11th in the league in scoring and fifth in rebounding.   In his fourth season, Hill finished the 2021-22 campaign 13-16 overall. The team held an overall GPA of 3.38, and earned numerous individual accolades with eleven members of the Honor Roll, six members of the Dean’s List, and two members of the President’s List. The 2022-23 squad featured a Top 10 scorer in the Sun Belt in Mikyla Tolivert and a Top 10 rebounder in Deasia Merrill, as well as another strong performance in the classroom, highlighted by a pair of Academic All-Distict selections in Tolivert and Alyssa Phillip. In his sixth season with the Panthers, Hill finished the 2023-24 season 15-15 (9-9 Sun Belt), his best conference mark since joining the Georgia State women's basketbal staff. The team held an overall GPA of 3.54, and earned 12 individual academic accolades with two President's List, five Dean's List and five Honor Roll honors. Kamryn Dziak, Mikyla Tolivert, Alyssa Phillip and Kaleigh Addie were also named to the Academic All-District team under Hill's helm. The 2023-24 team featured Sun Belt Freshman of the Year Crystal Henderson, and All-Sun Belt First team Mikyla Tolivert, who led the team in scoring and ranked top 10 in the conference for free throws and steals.  Through his first six seasons at GSU, Hill's record stands at 75-98, while his overall record is 87-138, including two seasons at USC Spartanburg (now USC Upstate).   Hill came to Atlanta following five successful seasons helping lead NC State to a 112-52 record, including three NCAA Tournament appearances. In his final season there, Hill helped guide the Wolfpack to a 26-9 record and a berth in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.   In his first season at NC State (2013-14), Hill helped the Wolfpack to a 25-8 record, a fourth-place finish in the ACC standings, and an NCAA Tournament appearance. After an 18-15 campaign in 2014-15 and a 20-11 season in 2015-16, Hill helped lead the Wolfpack to the NCAA Tournament Round of 32 in 2016-17 with an impressive 23-9 record (12-4 ACC).   He played a large role in mentoring 2017 All-ACC guards Miah Spencer and Dominique Wilson, both of whom were seniors during the successful 2016-17 season, eclipsed the 1,000-point mark at NC State, and went on to play professionally overseas following graduation.   Prior to his five years at NC State, Hill worked at Georgia Tech from 2009-12 as the Yellow Jackets made four consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament, including the program’s first Sweet 16 appearance in 2012.   Hill was heavily involved in the player development of three WNBA draft picks between 2010-12, including first-rounders Alex Montgomery and Sasha Goodlett at Georgia Tech.   Hill was one of just 14 assistant coaches from around the country chosen to participate in Advocates for Athletic Equity’s (AAE) annual “Achieving Coaching Excellence” (ACE) Professional Development Program for basketball coaches in June 2016. The program is recognized as helping to boost the careers of some of the top minority coaches in the college game.   Prior to joining the Yellow Jackets, Hill served six seasons on the Butler women’s basketball staff, including two years as associate head coach. He worked as the Bulldogs’ recruiting coordinator and assisted with on-court coaching.   Hill joined coach Beth Couture’s first Butler staff in 2002 after serving as the interim head women’s basketball coach at East Carolina University during the 2001-02 season.   The Bulldogs’ resurgence to the upper tier of the Horizon League was due in large part to the talent that Hill accumulated at Butler. His first recruiting class included Jackie Closser and Ellen Hamilton, two players who scored 1,000 points in their Butler careers. Additionally, the Bulldogs landed at least one player on the Horizon League’s All-Newcomer Team in each of Hill’s four years as recruiting coordinator.   Hill was the head women’s basketball coach at USC Spartanburg from 1999-01. While in Spartanburg, he recruited three USA Today Honorable Mention All-Americans and the 2000-01 Peach Belt Conference Freshman of the Year.   From 1997-99, Hill served as an assistant women’s basketball coach at Lander (S.C.) University. He helped lead the Bearcats to their first Peach Belt Conference Tournament championship and earned an NCAA Division II Tournament bid.   Hill graduated from Coker (S.C.) College with a degree in physical education in 1997. He grew up just outside of Atlanta in LaGrange, Ga.   While at Coker, Hill played for the Cobras’ basketball team for one season and also served as the assistant women’s basketball coach for three seasons.   Hill has been invited to attend The Villa 7 Consortium multiple times in Beaverton, Ore., a group of women’s basketball assistant coaches who are considered to be the next generation of rising head coaches in the country.   Hill and his wife, Heidi, have two children: daughter, Genevieve Ashlynn and son Guy Alexander. HEAD COACH GENE HILL Born: November 1, 1973 Hometown: LaGrange, Ga. Alma Mater: Coker (S.C.), 1997 Family: Wife Heidi, daughter Genevieve Ashlynn, and son Guy Alexander 1994-97: Coker (S.C.) College, Assistant Coach 1997-99: Lander (S.C.), Assistant Coach 1999-2001: USC Spartanburg, Head Coach 2001-02: East Carolina, Interim Head Coach 2002-07:Butler, Assistant Coach 2007-09: Butler, Assistant Coach 2009-13: Georgia Tech, Assistant Coach 2013-18: NC State, Assistant Coach 2018-Present: Georgia State, Head Coach  

Assistant coach Jon Bollier joined the Georgia State women's basketball staff in May 2022 from Samford. He has also served on the women’s basketball staffs at Georgia and Belmont.   Bollier spent the last four seasons at Samford, including three seasons as an assistant coach before being elevated to associate head coach for the 2021-22 season. He also served as the program’s interim head coach in the spring of 2019.   Bollier was instrumental in the turnaround the program experienced during the 2019-20 season. After winning just 10 games the previous season, the Bulldogs improved to 18-14, and won the program's first Southern Conference regular-season title. The team then captured the SoCon Tournament title, punching their ticket to the 2020 NCAA Tournament.   A year later in 2020-21, Samford repeated as Southern Conference regular season champions while featuring the conference’s offensive player of the Year and leading scorer, Andrea Cournoyer.   Before going to Samford, Bollier served three seasons (2015-18) as director of player personnel at Georgia, including a stint as an interim assistant coach during the 2016-17 season. That was his second tour at Georgia, where he first worked as video coordinator for three seasons from 2010-13.   In between, he spent two seasons as an assistant coach at Belmont, highlighted by a berth in the 2014 Women’s NIT.   Bollier played one season of basketball at Gardner-Webb University and one at Covenant College before receiving his bachelor's degree in sociology from Piedmont College in 2009. He added a master of studies in law from the Samford’s Cumberland School of Law in 2021.   Bollier and his wife, Libby, have one daughter, Sullivan.   

Shanasa Sanders joined the Georgia State women's basketball staff as an assistant coach in May 2022.   Known as "Coach Noc," Sanders came to GSU after five seasons as an assistant coach at Stetson, where she trained and developed 10 all-conference players. In 2021-22, she helped lead the Hatters to a 20-win campaign and a berth in the Atlantic Sun Conference semifinals, where they fell to No. 20-ranked FGCU.   Before joining the staff at Stetson, her alma mater, Sanders spent one season as a varsity assistant coach at Jean Ribault High School in Jacksonville, Fla., which won the 2017 FHSAA 6A state title. While there, Sanders helped coach McDonald’s All-American Rennia Davis, now playing in the WNBA.   “Coach Noc is young coach with an old school mentality!” head coach Gene Hill said upon Sanders' hiring. “She is a tireless recruiter and will open some new doors for us here at GSU. She is a great addition to the staff and will be a great role model for our players.”   A standout collegiate player, Sanders began her career with two seasons at Cincinnati, highlighted by Big East All-Freshman honors. After transferring to Stetson, she earned all-conference honors as a senior while leading the Hatters to the 2013 Atlantic Sun Conference title and a berth in the NCAA Tournament.   She went on to play professionally overseas for three seasons in Montenegro, the Czech Republic, Spain and Dubai from 2013-16.   Sanders is a native of Jacksonville, Fla. She earned bachelor’s degree from Stetson in sport management and business in 2013 and then completed her MBA at Stetson in 2021.    

Isabella “Bella” Ferary was elevated to assistant coach of the beach volleyball program in January 2026, following a record-setting and decorated career as a student-athlete with the Sandy Panthers and a brief stint as a graduate assistant while completing her master’s degree. Ferary previously served as a graduate assistant and director of beach volleyball operations at Georgia State from August 2024 through December 2025 while finishing her master’s degree. A four-year letterwinner (2021–2024), Ferary leaves an indelible legacy on Georgia State Beach Volleyball. She is the program’s all-time career leader in individual wins with 105 and, alongside her twin sister Angel, holds the program record for most pair victories at 100. The duo consistently competed at the top flight and earned national recognition for their performance, including back-to-back All-Sun Belt First Team selections (2023, 2024) and being named the 2023 Sun Belt Conference Pair of the Year. In 2024, Ferary helped lead Georgia State to its second consecutive Sun Belt Conference Championship and third straight NCAA Championship berth, finishing the season ranked inside the nation’s top 16. She and Angel posted a 25-14 record, with nine wins over nationally ranked opponents and a near-perfect 11-1 mark in conference play. The pair was named Sun Belt Conference Pair of the Week on March 27 after a dominant run of victories. Ferary’s junior season in 2023 was highlighted by her selection to the AVCA All-America Second Team, recognizing her among the top collegiate beach volleyball players in the nation. She helped the Sandy Panthers win the inaugural Sun Belt title and contributed to a season that included a program-defining victory over USC’s top pair—handing them their only regular-season loss. She concluded the year with a 19-14 record and eight wins against ranked opponents. In 2022, Ferary and her sister compiled a historic 37-2 record, setting school records for both individual and pair wins in a single season, and earned All-Conference USA First Team and AVCA Top Flight Award honors. The Panthers achieved their first-ever Conference USA Championship and advanced to the NCAA Round of Six, defeating No. 2 TCU in one of the biggest upsets in NCAA Beach Volleyball Championship history. That season, the team’s No. 7 final AVCA ranking marked the highest finish for any Georgia State athletic program in a Division I national poll. As a freshman in 2021, Ferary led the team in total wins with a 24-9 record, earned a spot on the CCSA All-Tournament Team, and helped secure victories over multiple ranked programs. Her academic achievements are equally impressive, having been named to the CSC All-District At-Large Team in 2023, and appearing on the President's List and Dean’s List multiple times. She graduated with a degree in Criminal Justice with a concentration in Legal Studies and is continuing her education in graduate school at Georgia State. Before her collegiate career, Ferary was named an AVCA High School First Team All-American in 2020. A multi-sport athlete at Mount Paran Christian School, she was part of state championship teams in both indoor volleyball and track and field, while also lettering in basketball. A Kennesaw, Ga., native, Bella is the daughter of Joseph and Lisa Ferary. Her twin sister Angel, also a standout for Georgia State Beach Volleyball, remains her long-time teammate and partner on the sand. Ferary brings her competitive experience, deep knowledge of the program, and a championship pedigree into her new role, where she will support coaching efforts and operations as the Sandy Panthers continue to compete at the national level.

Patechia Hartman, one of the top women's basketball players in Georgia State history and a long-time professional player, was named assistant coach on head coach Gene Hill's staff in 2023. She joined the GSU program after three seasons as the head coach at McDonough (Ga.) High School in the Atlanta area.   Hartman took at McDonough in 2020-21 and led the program to a berth in the Class AAAA state tournament her first year. She previously served as an assistant coach at Henry County High School, Westlake High School and Tri-Cities High School, her alma mater, and she spent two seasons (2010-12) as the head coach at Atlanta Metropolitan College.   "The first time I met Coach Hartman, she was leading a high school workout, and her attention to detail and her enthusiasm were at an elite level," Hill said. "After talking with her, I quickly realized the only equal was her love for GSU. I am extremely excited that she is coming home to be a part of our staff."   An Atlanta native, Hartman played 12 years of professional basketball in various domestic and international leagues. Her overseas experience included stints in Iceland, Hungary, Taiwan and the Dominican Republic.   In the U.S., she was the first pick in the 2011 draft for the Women's Universal Basketball Association (WUBA) and went on to be the league MVP in 2011 and first-team all-league in 2012-13.   Hartman was a member of the U.S. National Team that competed in the 2013 William Jones Cup.   The talented guard played at Georgia State from 2001-05 and led the Panthers to two conference titles and two NCAA Tournament bids. Her No. 3 jersey was retired in 2006.   The two-time Atlantic Sun Conference Player of the Year is the only player in GSU history with more than 1,500 points, 400 assists and 200 steals.   She holds top-10 rankings in eight career categories at Georgia State, including scoring, field goals, 3-pointers, free throws, free throw percentage, assists, steals and games played.   Hartman earned her degree in sociology from Georgia State in 2006.

Michelle McLeod joined the Georgia State women’s basketball staff as the Director of Basketball Operations in May 2025.  Previously, she served as the executive assistant at UCF for the 2024-25 season.  Before UCF, McLeod spent two seasons with Georgia Southern where she served as director of basketball operations during the 2022-23 season. McLeod was elevated to chief of staff for the 2023-24 season.  Before joining the Eagles, McLeod spent four seasons as the Assistant Director of Basketball Operations for the North Carolina Central men’s basketball team, where she managed the program’s budget by coordinating team travel, scheduling practice facilities and supervising student managers. Throughout her four seasons at North Carolina Central, she assisted in leading the Eagles to two Mid-Eastern Atlantic Conference Championships en route to the NCAA Tournament. In 2020, McLeod was named to the inaugural class of John McLendon Minority Leaders, a national initiative to assist rising minorities in the sports industry.  A native of Anson County, North Carolina, she graduated from North Carolina with a bachelor’s degree in Exercise and Sports Science and a minor in coaching education in 2017. While at North Carolina Central, McLeod received her master’s in athletic administration. 

Bethany Fortson began her journey at Georgia State University in the fall of 2023 as a Graduate Assistant for the Women's Basketball Team, focusing on player development with an emphasis on community service and the holistic growth of student-athletes. In 2025, Fortson was promoted to Director of Player Development and Community Engagement for Georgia State women’s basketball. In this role, she is responsible for leading student-athlete development initiatives, coordinating community outreach efforts, and supporting team and departmental operations. Fortson works closely with coaches, athletics administrators, campus partners, and external organizations to plan and execute programs and events that enhance the student-athlete experience and strengthen Georgia State women’s basketball’s presence within the community. Her responsibilities include assisting with theme games and special event operations, supervising student staff and volunteers, managing logistics and communication across departments, and supporting initiatives that promote leadership, personal growth, and professional development among student-athletes. A native of Hull, Georgia, Fortson earned her Master’s degree in Sport Administration from Georgia State University in 2025. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science with a minor in Nutritional Science from Kennesaw State University, where she served as Student Body President.