Rachel Banham got a promotion Monday.
Rachel Banham promoted to Gophers women's basketball assistant coach
Head coach Dawn Plitzuweit expanded duties for Banham, who was already serving as a Gophers director of quality control.
July 24, 2023 at 7:48PM
This was among many moves made by University of Minnesota women's basketball coach Dawn Plitzuweit, who completed her first Gophers staff.
Banham, the former Lakeville North and Gophers star and current member of the Lynx, was named as an assistant coach. Banham rejoined the Gophers program prior to last season as quality control director under former coach Lindsay Whalen.
Banham, who is currently out for the Lynx with a broken thumb, will continue to fulfill the role of director of Gophers quality control.
Banham and Tyler VanWinkle — who was with Plitzuweit at West Virginia last season — were named assistant coaches, joining a staff that includes Plitzuweit, associate head coach Jason Jeschke and assistants Aaron Horn and Ariel Braker.
Other moves include:
- Jan Whitbeck becomes the director of strategic operations.
- Adam Marso becomes the director of basketball operations.
- Meghan Bielich was named director of creative content.
- Brooke Olson, who was named the Division II women's basketball player of the year by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association after leading Minnesota-Duluth to the Division II national championship game, will be the team's graduate manager.
- Stevan Yan will be the team's intern.
The NCAA allows teams to have six coaches on the court in practices and in games, Plitzuweit noted, making some of the changes possible.
"We are fortunate to have Rachel Banham and Tyler VanWinkle expanding their roles within our program and now also assisting us in these new coaching positions," she said.
Minnesota’s bench scored 50 points, including a team-leading 18 points from graduate transfer Annika Stewart, showcasing the depth that coach Dawn Plitzuweit promised.
