matthew mitchell - University of Kentucky Athletics

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WILDCATS OUTLOOK KENTUCKY UK HOOPS
KYRA ELZY
ASSISTANT COACH AND RECRUITING COORDINATOR
ELZY ENTERS HER FIRST SEASON ON THE SIDELINES AT KENTUCKY
Coaching Career
2008-Current: Assistant Coach, Kentucky
2005-08 – Assistant Coach, Kansas
2003-04 – Assistant Coach, Western Kentucky
2002-03 – Administrative Assistant, Virginia Tech
Playing Career at Tennessee
Four-year letter winner who played in 126 games …
Member of two national championship teams (1997 & 1998)
and a national runner-up squad (2000) … Holly Warlick
Defensive Player of the Year (1997) … Unsung Hero Award
(1998) … Just the fifth freshman in UT history to start her first
game when she started at guard in the 1996-97 season
opener against Austin Peay … First Lady Vol to earn a master’s
degree while still playing … Named to the 2000 and
2001 SEC All-Academic teams … Three-time Lady Vol Academic
Achiever, a distinction given to student-athletes that
maintain a 3.0 grade point average for the year … Earned
Tennessee’s Dean’s List honors each semester while in graduate
school … Member of the 1997 USA Junior World Championship
team that went 6-1 and won a Gold medal in Brazil.
Personal
Full Name: Kyra ShaNae Elzy
Birthday: August 17, 1978
Hometown: LaGrange, Ky.
High School: Oldham County High School
College: Tennessee, ‘01
Degrees: Bachelor’s degree in Psychology - Master’s
degree in cultural studies and education with an emphasis
in sports psychology
On Kentucky:
“It’s so awesome to be a part of the excitement and
tradition that the Kentucky name represents across the
country. I’m a Kentucky girl and I love the green grass,
the southern hospitality and the horses. It’s a beautiful
place. I also love working with Coach Mitchell and this
staff. He displays a contagious energy, passion and
heart on and off the court. He never lacks enthusiasm.”
Kyra Elzy is in her first season as an assistant coach
and recruiting coordinator at Kentucky after spending
the last four years as an assistant coach at Kansas.
“Kyra is a tremendous addition to our program as
she has the experience, the personality and the work ethic
to attract the best players in the country to be studentathletes
at Kentucky,” UK Coach Matthew Mitchell said.
“Our program will continue moving forward in a positive
direction with Kyra on staff.”
As the recruiting coordinator at Kansas, Elzy helped
the Jayhawks land its first top 20 signing class in 2007
under head coach Bonnie Henrickson. She also helped
KU earn two post-season bids in her four seasons. In
2006-07, KU finished 17-16 overall and advanced to the
third round of the Women’s National Invitation Tournament
(WNIT) while guard Danielle McCray was
named Big 12 honorable mention.
“I’m honored to have the opportunity to come back
to my home state and coach at the University of Kentucky,”
Elzy said. “I’m also very excited to work with
Matthew Mitchell and the rest of this staff. Returning to
the Southeastern Conference is home to me after playing
five years in the SEC.”
Prior to Kansas, Elzy coached at Western Kentucky for
two seasons under head coach Mary Taylor Cowles. She
coordinated the recruiting efforts for the Lady Toppers
and also worked with the guards and handled individual
workouts. The Lady Toppers posted 20+ wins both of her
seasons at WKU and in 2002-03 WKU won the Sun Belt
Conference championship and advanced to the NCAA
Tournament. Elzy helped coach Sun Belt Player of the
Year Shala Reese and Newcomer of the Year Tiffany
Porter-Talbert. In 2003-04, WKU was the Sun Belt runner-up
and advanced to the quarterfinals of the WNIT.
Before coaching, Elzy spent one year as an administrative
assistant under Henrickson at Virginia Tech. She
was responsible for team travel, scheduling community
service events, and working with the women’s basketball
summer camps.
As a student-athlete,
Elzy tutored under
the nation’s all-time
winningest coach in
Hall of Famer Pat Summitt
at Tennessee. The
four-year letter winner,
who actually spent five
GETTING TO KNOW COACH ELZY
• Started playing basketball in fifth grade
• Daughter of Sheryl Elzy Spencer
• Coaching mentors: Pat Summitt, Holly Warlick, Mickie DeMoss
• Favorite professional sports team: Los Angeles Lakers
• Hobbies: Shopping, reading, listening to music, and going to the movies
• One thing most people don’t know about me: I like to write poetry
• Other high school sports played: Track & field. I won the state 400-meter title as a junior and we won the state in cross
country as a team.
• Favorite music artists: Mariah Carey, Brian McKnight and Alicia Keys
• One person I’d like to meet: Oprah
• Favorite thing about coaching: It’s very rewarding to be able to influence and have an impact on young women in a crucial
stage of their life and of course, winning!
seasons in a Lady Vol uniform after missing the 1998-99
season with an injury, was a member of two national
championship teams (1997 & 1998) and a national runner-up
squad (2000). During her time in Knoxville, she
played in 126 games and earned the Holly Warlick
Defensive Player of the Year award in 1997 and the
Unsung Hero Award in 1998.
Elzy became just the fifth freshman in Tennessee history
to start her first game as a Lady Vol when she started
at guard in the 1996-97 season opener against Austin
Peay. She also earned another distinction during her
playing career, becoming the first Tennessee player to
earn her master’s degree while still playing.
Also excelling in the classroom, Elzy was named to
the 2000 and 2001 SEC All-Academic teams. She was a
three-time Lady Vol Academic Achiever, a distinction
given to student-athletes that maintain a 3.0 grade point
average for the year and earned Tennessee’s Dean’s List
honors each semester while in graduate school.
The 29-year-old is a 1996 graduate of Oldham County
High School where she guided the Lady Colonels to
four district championships, two regional titles and a state
semifinals appearance during her prep career.
Elzy holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a
master’s in cultural studies in education with an emphasis
in sports psychology from Tennessee.
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