June 13, 2011

Messer adds Shellie Greenman to women's basketball coaching staff

Head women’s basketball coach Sytia Messer has made a new addition to what is already an award-winning coaching staff at Tennessee Tech with the hiring of Shellie Greenman, a former assistant coach at Virginia Tech.

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Head women’s basketball coach Sytia Messer has made a new addition to what is already an award-winning coaching staff at Tennessee Tech with the hiring of Shellie Greenman, a former assistant at Virginia Tech.

“I’m very thankful and appreciative for the opportunity to join the Tennessee Tech family,” Greenman said. “I am excited to work with Coach Messer. She’s a young, up-and-coming coach with a history of winning at Tech, and I’m looking forward to joining her staff.”

Greenman has over 20 years coaching experience at the Division I level, and will handle the bulk of the staff’s recruiting efforts and assist in guard play. She will also assist in game preparation.

“Coach Messer and her staff have done a great job with the present team, and I’m eager to help them continue to develop players, and recruit players that will allow us to win more championships,” Greenman added.

Prior to coming to Tennessee Tech, Greenman spent seven years on the Virginia Tech staff, serving as the team’s recruiting coordinator from 2004 through 2011.

Her role as recruiting coordinator did not mark her first opportunity with the Hokies however, as Virginia Tech offered her an assistant coaching opportunity following her graduation from Emory and Henry College with a B.A. in Health and Physical Education. She spent five years in the assistant coaching position on Carol Alfano’s staff, earning her M.S. in Sports Administration in the process.

In the time between her stints at Virginia Tech, Greenman worked at Western Carolina under head coach Gary Peters from 1993-96 as an assistant coach, and returned in 2000 for another four-year run with the Catamounts as their associate head coach under Beth Dunkenberger. Greenman has also completed coaching stints at Miami (Ohio) University and UT Chattanooga. She has the impressive distinction of having recruited a player who was named the Conference Rookie of the Year at each of the three schools.

“Shellie brings a lot of experience to our staff. She has coached at every level, from the highest to mid-major, and has been successful,” Messer said. “She also has some Tennessee ties with her time at UT Chattanooga. We’re really excited about her joining our staff.”

Messer was familiar with Greenman’s coaching talents after facing her when the two were rivals at ACC schools.

“I first encountered Shellie as a coach when I was coaching at Georgia Tech and she was at Virginia Tech. I coached against her for five years and I observed that Virginia Tech teams were always very prepared and had strong game plans, and I know she was highly involved in that,” Messer said. “I also saw her ability as a recruiting coordinator, as she was able to sign some of the best players in the South.”

In her days as a player, Greenman was a four-year letterwinner in basketball at Emory and Henry, leading her team to the ODAC championship in 1988 and earning All-Tournament team honors.

Greenman joins a Golden Eagle staff that also includes assistant coach Coretta Brown and Director of Basketball Operations Daphne Mitchell.