UK women's basketball gets new assistant coach

Special to the Herald-Leader

Kentucky women's basketball coach Matthew Mitchell has announced the hiring of former Tennessee standout Shalon Pillow as an assistant coach. Pillow will be responsible for the post players.

The native of Addyston, Ohio, comes to Kentucky after spending one season as an assistant coach at Hofstra and three seasons at the University of South Florida.

"Shalon is a tremendous addition to our coaching staff," Mitchell said. "I've known her since her college playing days at Tennessee and I have followed her coaching career with a lot of interest. ... It was very important to get someone that could help us build on the momentum in our post game. After visiting with Shalon, it was clear that she has a passion for teaching post players."

At Hofstra, Pillow coached the post players and helped the Pride to a 16-14 record. Hofstra's 11-game improvement from the 2007-08 season ranked fourth-best nationally.

At USF, Pillow was the director of basketball operations for one season before being promoted to assistant coach during the 2006-07 and 2007-08 seasons.

"I'm really excited about the opportunity to work with Coach Mitchell and work in the Southeastern Conference after playing at Tennessee," Pillow said. "The sky is the limit for UK and that is one of the biggest reasons I decided to come."

Pillow, a 6-foot-3 center, played at Tennessee under Pat Summitt from 1998-2002.