Andalusia native named new head women’s basketball coach at Univerity of San Diego

An Andalusia native has rose through the ranks in quick fashion and is taking the reigns as head women’s basketball coach at the University of San Diego.

Alverson, who attended Andalusia High School through her sophomore year before moving to become a standout varsity basketball player in Buford, Georgia, became one of the youngest coaches in NCAA athletics when she was officially named to lead the Toreros during a press conference on March 25. She is 34-years-old.

Alverson was officially named USD’s fourth women’s basketball head coach during a press conference on March 25.

“From the beginning of this process I have been so impressed with the vision and the mission of San Diego and the athletic department,” Alverson said. “I couldn’t be more excited to be the next women’s head basketball coach at USD. I think the future is so bright; there’s a lot of potential for growth and I couldn’t be more excited to be here.  I have met the team and they are amazing. The energy has been phenomenal and I really appreciate them welcoming me in with open arms.”

In her new position, Alverson will be going to work at USD’s Jenny Craig Pavilion, which has undergone a multi-million dollar renovation over the past year.

PHOTO COURTESY OF LOREN ANDERSON | USD
Blanche Alverson on the campus of the University of San Diego.

“This was a no-brainer decision for me. I am so glad to be at USD; this is an incredible campus, especially with the facilities that are coming for women’s and men’s basketball. It is an exciting time at USD and I couldn’t be more happy to be here.”

Prior to accepting the head coaching job in San Diego, Alverson spent six season at Georgia Tech where she most recently served as associate head coach. During her time with the Yellowjackets, she helped take the team to four postseason appearances, including three NCAA Tournaments and the program’s second appearance in the Sweet 16.

“Where she had me was when she talked about herself as an educator-coach — an educator first, a coach second. It fits very much in line with the incredible faculty that we have at this institution,” said USD President James Harris III, during the press conference. “We had an incredible pool of candidates — sitting head coaches and individuals who have been successful at every level — but, Blanche Alverson stood out. When we had our conversation, her focus immediately was on the health and well-being of her student-athletes. She wanted to see them be successful in the classroom and be successful young women who go on to lead productive and meaningful lives. You can tell how much she cares about the students she is coaching.”

USD Executive Director of Athletics Kimya Massey added, “We focused heavily throughout the hiring process to find a candidate we felt would connect with the community, understand our Catholic mission and values, navigate the changes happening in the NCAA landscape, and of course, getting a good sense to the style of play and how that would translate to the WCC as well as nationally. As we narrowed down candidates, the ability to communicate effectively, the track record of success, the strong recommendations from people we trust, and the ability to recruit and connect with the athletes were evident as we spent more and more time with Blanche. It became clear that she was a great fit for who we are and where we want to go.”

Alverson said she will focus on building a team culture built on growing relationships and the well-being of student-athletes. “It is an exciting time in women’s basketball. I think one of the biggest things we can do as educators, coaches and leaders is to invest in the young people around us and I am super excited to invest in our team and to lay out the vision for what this program is going to do moving forward. We want to be in the community. We want to win games. But, we also want to take our process day by day and get better every single day.”

Other prior positions Alverson held during her professional career include two seasons at the University of Southern California where she helped secure a fifth-ranked recruiting class. In 2016-17, she helped lead New Mexico State to a 14-0 record. She also spent time playing professional basketball in Zamora, Spain after earning a bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Sciences at Auburn followed by a master’s degree in Sports Management at Texas Tech.

As a student-athlete in Buford, Alverson led her team to Georgia’s AA state championship and was named the state’s 2A Player of the Year. She signed a scholarship with Auburn University where she finished second on the university’s all-time three-pointers list and was only the fourth player in program history to notch 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, 100 assists, 100 steals, and 50 blocks. The was a two-team SEC Scholar Athlete of the Year.

Alverson is the daughter of Andalusia resident Bill Alverson and Cindy Alverson.

“I want to thank my family. I would not be here today without them,” Alverson said. “I am an educator-coach and my family has a strong background in education. My mom was my middle school principal. We are student-athletes first and education is why we are all here.”