Kentucky women hire familiar face, renew assistant coaching contracts

A former Kentucky standout is now a Kentucky assistant coach.

Amber Smith, a point guard for UK from 2008-12, was named a full-time assistant coach on Monday. For the past two seasons, Smith was the Cats’ director of player development.

“I am extremely blessed and humbled to have the opportunity to coach at my alma mater,” Smith said in a UK release that also announced expected contract extensions for assistant coaches Kyra Elzy and Niya Butts.

“This university and program hold a special place in my heart and I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else,” Smith continued. “I’m grateful to everyone that played a part in making this dream come true.”

Smith replaces Lin Dunn on the assistant coaching staff. Dunn moves to a new position as assistant to the head coach for Matthew Mitchell.

“Rearranging the roles of Amber and Lin and extending Kyra and Niya gives our program the stability that it needs for us to continue our success on and off the court,” Mitchell said in the release.

Smith, 28, signed a two-year deal paying her $150,000 a year. It includes incentives for deep Kentucky trips into the NCAA Tournament, starting with the Elite Eight.

Butts also signed a two-year contract that expires on June 30, 2020, and pays her $225,000 a season — a $25,000 bump from her previous deal — with similar incentive clauses to Smith.

Elzy signed an agreement through June 30, 2021, worth $275,000 a season — a $30,000 bump from her previous deal — with incentives for a deep run into the NCAA Tournament, something akin to Mitchell’s latest contract signed last year that emphasized a deep postseason run for the Cats.

Kentucky has not advanced to the Elite Eight since 2013 and failed to make the NCAA Tournament for the first time in eight years last season. It was the first time in 12 years UK did not have any postseason play.

UK returns 80.3 percent of its scoring next season, including its top four scorers in Maci Morris, Taylor Murray, Dorie Harrison and Tatyana Wyatt and eight of its top 10 scorers overall.

The Cats also return 73.4 percent of their rebounding, 80 percent of their assists and 83.1 percent of their steals and 65.5 percent of their blocked shots from last season’s team.

They also will get Stony Brook transfer Ogechi Anyagaligbo back from a knee injury that happened in the preseason, and Kentucky signed two players who could have an immediate impact next season.

Rhyne Howard, who was named Tennessee Miss Basketball this month and the state’s Gatorade Player of the Year, and Harlan County’s Blair Green make up UK’s 2018 signing class.

In her new position as special assistant to the head coach, Dunn is not under contract. In the release, Dunn said she’s looking forward to working at UK in a different role, and is excited for Smith, who helped the Cats advance to two Elite Eights as a player.

Smith, who underwent surgery on both knees during her playing career, was part of the start of the rise of UK women’s basketball under Mitchell, helping the Cats advance to three straight NCAA Tournaments. Smith played in 123 games with 109 starts, averaging seven points and 3.4 assists a game.

“This reorganization creates a wonderful opportunity for Amber Smith to have new responsibilities that will help her grow as a young assistant coach,” Dunn said. “I’m excited for what’s ahead.”

This story was originally published May 7, 2018 at 10:00 AM with the headline "Kentucky women hire familiar face, renew assistant coaching contracts."