Tech Women's Basketball adds Mansa El as assistant coach

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. –  Tennessee Tech women's basketball head coach Kim Rosamond has announced the addition of Mansa El as an assistant coach. A proven leader with experience as a head coach, recruiting coordinator, and Division I student-athlete, El brings a wealth of knowledge, recruiting expertise, and player development experience to the Golden Eagle staff.

With more than a decade of coaching experience spanning Division I, Division III, grassroots basketball, and high school athletics, El joins a Tennessee Tech program that has produced eight consecutive winning seasons, captured multiple conference championships in recent years, and is preparing to embark on an exciting new chapter as a member of the Southern Conference.

"Mansa is a transformational leader who impacts people wherever she goes," said Rosamond. "She is a proven winner and successful head coach, an elite relationship-builder, and someone who aligns perfectly with who we are and what we value at Tennessee Tech. What stood out most throughout this process was her passion for developing young women, her relentless work ethic, and her ability to build winning cultures and develop players. She has elevated every program she has been a part of, and I have no doubt she will have an immediate impact on our players, our staff, and the future of Tennessee Tech women's basketball."

El, most recently, spent three seasons as the head coach at Division III University of St. Thomas. This past season, the team had its second-best season in program history with an 18-6 record, including a win over No. 21-ranked East Texas Baptist, while collecting six all-conference and honorable mention honors. The team led the SCAC in field goal percentage, turnover margin and was 4th in conference scoring.

In the 2024-2025 season, El was named the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Coach of the Year. Her team went from a preseason projected 11th-place finish to a 2nd-place finish with the help of the longest winning streak in program history, as the team recorded 11 consecutive wins to end the season. Prior to El's arrival, they had won a total of 13 games in three seasons. The program also succeeded in the classroom, improving the team's GPA from 2.6 to 3.4.

El transformed the St. Thomas women's basketball program both on and off the court.

During the three seasons she coached at St. Thomas, she simultaneously coached on the grassroots travel team circuit for the nationally recognized FAM Hoops organization, where she served as the head coach for the 17U 3SSB team and Director of Coaches for the program. El aided more than 30 players in getting their first scholarship offers, and over 20 players in the program earned Texas rankings -- two earning ESPN rankings while under her tutelage. 

"I'm thankful for the opportunity to be a part of Tennessee Tech Women's Basketball," El said. "The people and culture at Tech are special, and I could feel that from my first day on campus. I'm excited to be working for such a great leader and surrounded by intentional minds that lead with the heart. I'm grateful to be asked to make an impact on the championship culture at Tennessee Tech and excited to get to work."

In 13 years of coaching, El has impacted many programs. She has been an assistant coach at Houston, South Alabama, Canisius and West Virginia Wesleyan (DII). At the high school level, she was the first female boys basketball coach in Cypress Fairbanks ISD, the same school district where she earned a state championship in 2008. 

El started her collegiate playing career at North Texas in 2008-09, becoming the program's first true freshman to start in 29 games. She then played at Tallahassee State College, helping lead the team to a No. 11-ranking in the NJCAA and was inducted into their Hall of Fame in 2024. Her collegiate playing days continued at South Alabama through 2013, scoring 689 points with the Lady Jags, putting her over 1,000 points in her career and earning All-Sun Belt Conference honors. 

Among her various accolades, El was selected to be part of the Women's Basketball Coaches Association's "So You Want To Be A Coach" Program in 2013 and the NCAA Emerging Leaders Seminar in 2015.  

A native of Houston, Texas,  El earned a bachelor's degree in interdisciplinary studies from South Alabama in 2013 and her master's degree in human resource development from Houston in 2016.