Southeastern Louisiana University Women's Basketball

Jeff Dow was named the eighth head women’s basketball coach in Southeastern history on March 25, 2025. Dow took over the helm of the program after spending 2019-2025 as the head women’s coach of the University of Incarnate Word. In six seasons at Incarnate Word, Dow secured 48 more wins than the previous six seasons combined and posted an overall record of 86-62 (.581) for the program during his time with the Cardinals. In 2024-25, UIW finished with a successful season under the leadership of Dow, as the Cardinals posted an 18-14 overall record and 12-8 mark in Southland Conference play. Incarnate Word ended the season ranking third in Southland standings and concluded its SLC Tournament run in the semifinals. With Dow at the helm, UIW closed the season as one of only two programs in the SLC to reach the conference tournament each of the past six years. Dorian Norris represented the Cardinals on the SLC All-Conference Defensive Team. Dow’s final season with UIW in 2024-25, marked the third consecutive year UIW earned the fourth seed and a first-round bye in the Southland Conference tournament. The Cardinals also secured a selection to the postseason Women’s National Invitational Tournament (WNIT). Dow helped the program to claim its best start in UIW program history after 21 games (13-8) and in league play after 12 games (8-4). Dow’s success with the Cardinals in 2024-25, marked the third consecutive winning season, the only women’s sport at UIW to accomplish that feat. Under Dow’s guidance in 2023-24, UIW broke multiple program records as the team established and posted a new record for overall wins. The Cardinals gained a 19-11 record, marking a UIW school record for overall winning percentage (.633). Dow led UIW to claim 12 conference wins, the most in Cardinal history alongside UIW tying a program-best fourth place finish in the conference standings with a winning percentage of .667 and seven consecutive games won. Other accomplishments included becoming the fastest team to win 10 games since the 2012-13 season (when UIW was NCAA Division II), recording the highest NET ranking in school history (128 out of 362 NCAA Division I teams), securing the most non-conference wins, 7, and best non-conference record (7-4) in Division I school history.  The 2023-24 team also recorded the most road wins, 8, since 2009-10 and had an 8-3 (.727) road record vs. non-Power 5 opponents. In 2022-23, UIW broke the school record for overall wins (later broken by the 2023-24 squad) set in 2019-20 and 2021-22 (Dow’s first and third seasons at UIW). The 15-14 record marked UIW’s first overall winning record since becoming Division I and along the way also set a school record for overall winning percentage. The number of conference wins, 10, matched the school record set in Dow’s first season at UIW in 2019-20. In addition to a program-best fourth place finish in the conference standings, school records were set for conference winning percentage (.556) and six consecutive games won. Dow’s third season with the Cardinals in 2021-22, claimed a historic run as UIW won the Southland Conference Tournament Championship and secured an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in Cardinal women’s basketball history. The accomplishment marked the seventh trip to the NCAA Tournament as head coach, and eighth overall. UIW defeated four teams to reach the Big Dance as each win was the first in program history for the Cardinals. Junior forward Tiana Gardner was named the Most Valuable Player of the Southland Conference tournament after scoring 22 points in the championship game, including two free throws to send it into overtime at the end of regulation and two more near the end of the overtime period to ice the victory.  The 2020-21 season was truncated by games cancelled due COVID-19 and a mid-February ice storm.  But it also ushered in a freshmen class that would go on to qualify for the Southland Conference tournament and play in the conference tournament for the first time in school history. Jaaucklyn Moore, Destiny Terrell, Myra Bell, and Brenna Perez averaged double figure minutes as freshman and combined to start 29 games. Dow guided the Cardinals as the team qualified for the Southland Conference tournament for the second time in school history. The Cardinals had what was then the second-best conference winning percentage in school history. In his first season at the helm of UIW in 2019-20, Dow led the team to a 14-15 overall record and 10-10 in conference play, marking the best record at the time since the Cardinals moved up to Division I in 2013-14. The nine-win improvement was ranked first in the country for most improved team for a first-year coaching staff. Overall, the nine-win increase ranked sixth nationally among all coaching staffs. Prior to UIW, Dow spent five seasons as the head coach at the University of Louisiana Monroe (ULM) from 2014-2019. While at ULM, Dow registered the Warhawks’ only non-conference winning record since the 2009-10 season, a feat his teams accomplished twice (2015-16 and 2018-19) and the only non-conference winning records in the previous 13 seasons of the program. ULM’s five-game winning streak in Dow’s last season, was the longest in school history since the program’s 2006-07 season. Dow also recruited and coached Arsula Clark, the 2017-18 Louisiana Sportswriter’s Freshman of the Year (first in school history) and a 2018-19 All-Sun Belt Conference member. This marked the first time in ULM’s history that a sophomore had achieved that honor.  Clark had career highs of 33 points and 14 rebounds in Dow’s 500th win as a coach in ULM’s victory over Arkansas State, March 7, 2019. Dow’s second year at ULM featured the first winning record against non-conference opponents for the program since the 2009-10 season. The Warhawks nearly pulled off an epic win but fell in overtime on the road to SEC foe LSU. The Warhawks would later go on to defeat Sun Belt Conference champion Troy. For the second consecutive year a senior post would be named second team all-Sun Belt as Alayshia Hunter received the honor after finishing fifth in the Sun Belt in scoring and field goal percentage, sixth in rebounding and seventh in blocked shots.  As a head coach and as a first assistant, Dow has compiled twelve 20-win seasons, eight NCAA tournament appearances, four postseason WNIT appearances and seven conference championships. In the eight years just prior to his inaugural season at ULM, Dow averaged over 23 wins per season with an overall record as a head coach of 187-57 (.766) and a 117-29 (.801) mark in conference play. Dow’s squads also registered winning seasons in each of those eight years. Prior to arriving at ULM, Dow averaged over 20 wins per season as a head coach.  Before beginning his tenure at ULM, Dow was one of the most successful coaches in Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) history (2008-13), compiling a five-year record of 108-40 (.729) at the helm, with a 65-21 (.756) mark in conference. Dow guided the Crimson Hawks to the NCAA Tournament three times and won the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) championship in 2009. Dow coached the Crimson Hawks to a No. 7 ranking in the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Coaches Poll in 2008-09. He also got them to No. 19 in 2009-10, No. 17 in 2011-12 and No. 12 in 2012-13.  After the 2012-13 season Dow was ranked 22nd among active coaches at the NCAA Division II level in winning percentage and 40th all-time. In the postseason, Dow’s squad garnered first round victories in the 2009, 2012 and 2013 NCAA Division II tournaments. He was also the first head coach in school history to win 20 games in his debut season, and to win 10 or more games in the PSAC West Division in five consecutive seasons. Dow’s 26 wins in his debut season set a school record that still stands. During his tenure at IUP, Dow recruited and/or coached three players that were named All-Americans: Jahzinga Tracey, Sarah Pastorek and Lindsay Stamp. Tracey and Pastorek’s selections would mark a run of five consecutive years that Dow had a different player named All-American.  Off the court, he had a combined 63 student-athletes earn IUP Dean’s List honors and 33 were named PSAC Scholar Athletes.   Dow joined IUP from Anderson University (S.C.) where he tallied a record of 79-17 (.822) and led his teams to the NCAA Tournament each of his three seasons. In his three years at the helm (2005-08), Dow was one of just eight head coaches to lead his program to at least one NCAA Division II tournament victory in three consecutive years. He guided Anderson to two Conference Carolinas regular season titles and one postseason championship in 2005-06. His 2005-06 squad led all NCAA Division II schools in scoring (83.5 points per game). Dow held a 52-8 (.867) record in conference play and posted a 40-2 home record in three seasons.   While at Anderson, Dow recruited and/or coached three players that earned All-America honors in successive seasons: LaShonda Chiles, Deidra Langston and Nikki Anthony.  Chiles was recognized in Dow’s first season at Anderson in 2005-06 after finishing third in the nation in scoring.  Langston was also named 2006-07 Conference Carolinas Player of the Year and Female Athlete of the Year.  In addition to All-American honors, Anthony was named the Conference Carolinas Player of the Year after the 2007-08 season.  Off the floor, Kim Hausman was named the Murphy Osborne Award recipient in 2006-07 as Anderson’s Outstanding Senior Student-Athlete.   In his final season at Anderson in 2007-08, the program finished in the top-10 in the country in win-loss percentage, scoring defense, rebound margin, and scoring margin and was ranked as high as No. 12 in the WBCA national poll. For his team's accomplishments, Dow was selected as the Conference Carolinas Coach of the Year. In his first two seasons Dow’s Anderson squads were ranked 13th and 17th, respectively, in the WBCA national poll.  Prior to Anderson, Dow held the first assistant position at Colorado State (2002-05), Santa Clara (2000-02), UC-Irvine (1996-99) and New Mexico State (1992-96). During his time at those four universities, they had an overall record of 218-134 (.619) and a combined conference record of 122-65 (.652). Over the course of those twelve seasons, Dow’s teams made five appearances in the NCAA or postseason WNIT tournament and won two regular season conference championships. During his tenure at NMSU as the post coach, Dow worked with three-time Big West Conference Player of the Year, 1995-96 All-American and former WNBA player Anita Maxwell. While at UCI, the Anteaters posted an 11-4 record in Big West Conference play (1997-98), which would stand as the most conference wins the program had achieved for the next 22 seasons.   Dow had his first head coaching job at 24 years old at Texas A&M University-Kingsville (1990-91). His team was picked to finish ninth (last) in the preseason poll in his first year, but Dow propelled them to a third place showing and reached the semifinals of the Lone Star Conference Tournament. As the Lady Javelinas’ coach, Dow recruited and/or coached Patricia Rivers and Karen Weiss who were named WBCA All-Americans under Dow and were later inducted into the university’s athletics hall of fame.   Dow started his career as a graduate assistant at the University of Oregon in 1989-90. He earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology and physical education in 1988 and his master’s in physical education in 1991 from Oregon.  Dow was elected for a two-year appointment as the chairperson for the Southland Conference women’s basketball coaches committee in May 2023, a position he also held in 2007-08 for Conference Carolinas while he was coaching at Anderson University.  Dow has also been a voting member of the College Insider.com Mid-Major Top 25 coaches’ poll since the 2014-15 season.   Dow is married to Dr. Emily Dow, an assistant professor in the department of Kinesiology at UIW. The couple has two daughters, Chloe and Helena.

Angie Simpson was named the fifth head beach volleyball coach in Southeastern history December 22, 2025. In 2025-26, her first season with the Sandy Lions, Simpson guided the team to its most single season wins (17) in program history. Under Simpson's leadership, Southeastern finished with its best winning percentage (.515) and recorded its best conference record (4-2 SLC) in program history. SLU gained its first appearance in the CBVB Top 50 poll while achieving the program's first eight-match winning streak. Simpson pushed the green and gold to its first Southland Conference Beach Volleyball Championship Tournament semifinal appearance while securing its first two win run in program history. Pair four Makayla Hicks/Cadie Kusy and pair five Elizabeth Hardouin/Genevieve Schubrt earned SLC All-Conference (Second Team) alongside Mia McKinney breaking the program record for most career wins (53), under Simpson's guidance.  Simpson grew up in Muncie, Ind., where she helped Muncie Burris to three state championships during her prep career. The Owls were the No. 1 ranked team in the USA Today national high school ranks in three of Simpson’s four seasons and finished 162-1 during her time at MBHS.   Simpson played outside hitter on the indoor volleyball team at Penn State, where she was named an All-American as a senior and was a two-time All-Big Ten Conference selection. During her collegiate career with the Nittany Lions, Penn State made two Final Four appearances and won a pair of conference championships.   Simpson’s collegiate career was prior to the NCAA’s sponsorship of beach volleyball, but Simpson spent several years on the AVP (Association of Volleyball Professionals) Tour. One of Simpson’s most frequent partners was Jennifer Kessy, who earned a silver medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics. Following her beach volleyball career, Simpson spent two decades working in the Biotech and health care leadership field in California. She kept involved in the volleyball community, serving as a broadcaster for Fox Sports Net, ESPN and other outlets.   Her son, Colby, a tight end signed to play football at Tulane, reached high school, many of his friends requested Simpson come lend her vast knowledge to the Oaks Christian High School beach volleyball team. In her first season, OCHS won the CIF D2 championship and Simpson also led the program to back-to-back Marmonte League titles.  

Dustin Landry joined the Southeastern coaching staff prior to the 2022 season and coached the team’s linebackers. Starting in 2024, Landry moved over to coach the Lion secondary. The secondary’s first season under Landry’s guidance saw Keydrain Calligan, Khamron Ford and Coryell Pierce all earn All-Southland Conference accolades. The 2023 linebacker corps was led by Herman Christophe. Under Landry’s tutelage, Christophe earned All-Southland Conference honors. In his debut season in Hammond, Landry’s linebackers were key contributors to the program’s first Southland Conference championship since 2014. Donte’ Daniels finished with 87 tackles on the way to being named All-Southland Conference. Landry comes to Hammond after being a defensive coordinator each of the past seven seasons at various stops. He served in the role at Holmes Community College (2015), Western Carolina (2016), Northeastern Oklahoma A&M (2017), West Georgia (2018-19) and Central Oklahoma (2020-21). Landry started his coaching career as a student assistant on Gene Chizik’s staff at Auburn in 2007. He moved on to Iowa State as a graduate assistant under Chizik for the 2008 season. Landry would go on to serve as a defensive analyst at Auburn from 2009-11, before moving on to serve as defensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator at Navarro College in 2012. He coached the secondary at Troy for two seasons and spent a spring at North Carolina as a defensive analyst before taking over coordinator duties at Holmes. A native of Gulf Shores, Alabama, Landry earned his bachelor’s degree in criminology from Auburn in 2006. He would later earn a master’s in sport management from Auburn in 2009.  

Keanna Keys joined the Southeastern women’s basketball coaching staff as an assistant coach in April 2025. Keys’ most recent coaching stop was as an assistant coach at the University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley (2020-2025). Keys spent five seasons with the Vaqueros, helping to maintain the team’s excellence in the classroom while also primarily working on post player development. In her first season with UTRGV, the team finished with a GPA of 3.38 along with 13 AD Honor Roll Recipients. Prior to that, she spent two years as the athletic director at Immaculate Heart of Mary School from 2018-2020. Keys was a member of the Little Rock women’s basketball team from 2013-18, where she helped her team to Sun Belt Conference Championships in 2015, 2017 and 2018. She was named to the All-Sun Belt Conference Third Team during her final year by averaging 8.8 points and 4.9 rebounds per game. Keys finished her career with the sixth most offensive rebounds in program history while graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Health and Exercise Science Education in 2017 and a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice in 2018. She had the opportunity to coach at the Little Rock Basketball Camps, working with young basketball players in skill development. Keys also instructed young athletes in practicing and developing leadership skills.  During the summers of 2014 and 2015, Keys served as an AAU basketball assistant coach, providing skill instruction and mentoring young athletes.

Hammond native Regan Bolton joined the Southeastern women’s basketball program as an assistant coach in April 2025 after two seasons as a Director of Operations for the men’s basketball team.   Bolton spent her collegiate career at Southland Conference foe McNeese State, where she was a four-year player for the Cowgirls. She became one of the best shooters to ever take the court for McNeese women’s basketball, finishing her career in 2020 with the second-most made three-pointers in Cowgirls basketball history. For her play, she was named to the McNeese 2010s All-Decade team by the Lake Charles American Press. She graduated from McNeese with a bachelor’s of science in sports wellness and management. At the end of her playing career, Bolton moved to Monroe where she worked as a graduate assistant on the Louisiana-Monroe men’s basketball team, handling basketball operations and player development, among other tasks, for the Warhawks as she earned her master’s in sports management. Bolton completed her master’s in 2022 before heading back home to Hammond. A graduate of St. Thomas Aquinas Regional Catholic High in Hammond, Bolton is the daughter of two Lions for Life. Her dad, Tommy Bolton, played baseball for Southeastern while her mom, Erin Montalbano Bolton, was a member of the first Lady Lions softball team in 1985.

Former Southeastern football letterwinner Trey Willie is in his second season as member of the Southeastern coaching staff. Willie coaches running backs at his alma mater. in Willie’s debut campaign, the Lion running backs were led by first team All-Southland Conference selection Antonio Martin Jr. Under Willie’s tutelage, Martin Jr. led the SLC with 1,228 yards – the second-highest single-season total in program history – and 11 touchdowns. Willie returned to Hammond following an extensive high school coaching career. The Loranger, Louisiana native was most recently the head football coach at Ponchatoula High School. Prior to that he was the Green Wave’s offensive coordinator for five seasons, after serving as the PHS head softball coach from 2016-19. Willie’s other coaching stops included Amite High School and Hammond High School. Willie also served as a graduate assistant at SLU in the spring of 2007. A 2006 Southeastern graduate, Willie was a two-sport student-athlete for the Lions, playing baseball and football. Willie was SLU’s starting quarterback in 2005 in the program’s first season as a Southland Conference football-playing institution. Willie is married to the former Jill Machleit, a former Southeastern softball student-athlete.

David Mertens joined the Southeastern football coaching staff prior to the 2024 season as the director of player personnel and was named the program’s first general manager in 2025. Mertens leads the evaluation of the Lions’ current roster and future prospects. He also assists with team travel arrangements and coordinating the program’s operating budget. Mertens organizes all aspects of the team’s fall camp and also serve as the liaison with the professional leagues, helping to facilitate the current Lions’ goals of reaching the NFL, CFL, UFL and European Football League. Mertens also oversees the program’s community service efforts, as SLU Football continues to adhere to Southeastern Athletics’ expectations of excellence in the community, in the classroom and in competition. Prior to his time in Hammond, Mertens spent three seasons on the staff at Southland Conference member Lamar. During his time with the Cardinals, he served in a variety of capacities, including coaching tight ends and serving as assistant running backs coach, while also serving as director of operations, academic coordinator and equipment manager. Before his time in Beaumont, he served a season as a graduate assistant coach working with the defensive lineman at Wisconsin Lutheran College. Mertens began his coaching career at Howard Payne, working with the team’s linebackers, while also serve as assistant academic coordinator and community service coordinator. A 2017 graduate of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Mertens earned his bachelor’s degree in kinesiology, before earning a master’s in education from Lamar in 2021.  

Amite native Antonio Baker returned to Tangipahoa Parish in early 2020 to join the Southeastern Louisiana Football coaching staff as an assistant coach. Baker worked with the Southeastern safeties in the 2020 season, which was played in the spring of 2021. The 2010 Louisiana Tech graduate was a four-year letter winner at safety for the Bulldogs. In his first season with the Lions, Baker coached a pair of All-Southland Conference performers in Donniel Ward-Magee and Jack Henderson.   In 2021, he worked with the team’s nickelbacks and helped Henderson repeat as an All-Southland Conference selection. Henderson was a first team All-Southland Conference pick under Baker’s tutelage in 2022 and was a key contributor to the 2022 Southland Conference championship run for SLU. In 2024, Khamron Ford earned All-SLC honors, finishing with 72 tackles. Prior to coming to Hammond, Baker’s most recent stop was Kilgore College, where he spent the 2019 season, coaching linebackers. Prior to that, he coached safeties for two seasons at East Central Community College in Mississippi. During his time at ECCC, he also served as the program’s head strength and condition coach. He opened his coaching career at Jonesboro-Hodge High School, where he coached defensive backs and special teams. JHHS made two straight trips to the Class 2A playoffs during Baker’s tenure. As a player, Baker recorded 352 tackles and 10 interceptions during his collegiate career. A two-time first team All-WAC selection, he was selected the 2008 Louisiana Defensive Player of the Year. Baker prepped at Amite High School, helping the Warriors to the 2004 Class 3A state championship. As a senior, he earned district defensive MVP honors and also was named Defensive MVP at the LHSAA All-Star game. Baker received his bachelor’s degree in psychology from Louisiana Tech.

Tom Rinaldi joined the Southeastern coaching staff prior to 2022 season as the defensive line coach. He was previously a defensive analyst and a strength and conditioning intern with the Lions for the 2020 and 2021 campaigns. The 2024 season saw three student-athletes earn All-Southland Conference honors under Rinaldi’s leadership. Warren Peeples represented SLU on the first team, while Kaleb Proctor and Shemar Pearl earned second team All-SLC honors. In 2023, Rinaldi led a group that was highlighted by Arlen Williams. Williams was named to the All-Southland Conference team for the second straight season under Rinaldi’s leadership. Rinaldi was also featured with Fox Sports personality Tom Rinaldi on Fox Sports Big Noon Kickoff pregame show. His 2022 defensive line helped Southeastern to its first Southland Conference championship since the 2014 season. Williams earned All-Southland Conference honors, while Garrett Crawford was named to the Southland Conference All-Academic team under Rinaldi’s tutelage. Rinaldi started his coaching career as an assistant coach at Bridgeport Central High School, coaching defensive line and tight ends. Prior to coming to Hammond, Rinaldi spent as season as the defensive line coach at Post University in his hometown of Waterbury, Connecticut. Rinaldi played baseball at Central Connecticut State University and University of Bridgeport. He earned his bachelor’s degree in communication from Bridgeport in 2016 and then completed his graduate studies in education in 2018.