With the recently announced hiring of coaches Lindsay Werntz and Dennis Aidoo, Loyola’s women’s basketball team will add two experienced assistant coaches to round out the coaching staff.
“They bring a lot of experience and they bring a lot of different experience,” Kellie Kennedy, women’s head coach, said.
Aidoo, who is an engineer by trade, currently holds a job on the Amateur Athletic Union circuit as head coach of a youth basketball team.
He will continue to coach his youth team and take on his new position as assistant women’s coach on a part time basis.
Kennedy, however, is confident that Aidoo will be able to commit ample time to both coaching jobs. “I think our position is perfect for him,” she said. “He’s committing to this job on part time basis, but he’s going to commit to it as much as he would commit to anything. Even though it’s a part time position he’ll make a full time commitment.”
In addition to his experience, Aidoo’s past coaching experience in the AAU circuit has given him a deep connection with the New Orleans area.
“He has so many relationships with kids in this area and in this state,” Kennedy said.
Full time assistant, Lindsay Werntz, who has been a personal trainer for the past two years, brings more than just her knowledge of the game to the program.
“I think my energy [is my best asset] and my desire to make student athletes better not only on the court but off the court as well,” Werntz said. “My door is always open for players and I just want these student athletes to know that they have someone in their corner.”
Werntz has been part of successful programs in the past. She served as the assistant coach for the Florida Gulf Coast women’s basketball team in the 2002-03 season. They finished 30-1 by season’s end.
“We were beating people by 20 and 30 points and our only loss was our only close game,” she said.
She went on to say that winning helped motivate those players to work harder on their game and she hopes to recreate that atmosphere with Loyola’s women.
Though it would be difficult to have a one-loss season in the tougher SSAC conference, Werntz is optimistic.
“I’ve watched some film on these kids and I’m excited,” Werntz said. “The incoming freshman are really excited too, and I know everyone has been working hard all summer.”
Kennedy, who was responsible for hiring both coaches, thinks the different perspectives on how to approach the game will be beneficial.
“I in no way want ‘Yes’ people,” she said. “I want people who have their own ideas that are different than mine that they can use to add to this program.”
Kennedy’s choice of Aidoo, a youth basketball coach and Werntz, a former division one basketball player with assistant coaching experience will give her the diversity of opinion she values in a coaching staff.
As the season draws nearer for Loyola’s women, Werntz is looking forward to see what this eclectic coaching staff and Loyola’s players can accomplish.
“Hopefully Dennis and I will be able to fill the shoes of the assistants that were here last year but, we’re just excited so excited about getting things rolling,” Kennedy said.
Hasani Grayson can be reached at [email protected]
