STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - Penn State women's basketball has named Rick Hall and Keila Whittington (pronounced KEY-la) as assistant coaches, head coach Rene Portland announced on Monday.
The duo, which will begin duties immediately, will equally share the responsibilities of recruiting and coaching the Lady Lion post players.
"I was very pleased with our selection process and our pool of candidates," Portland said. "Both Keila and Rick bring to us a great source of recruiting knowledge, energy, and a solid basketball background."
Hall recently completed his third season as an assistant coach at Lehigh, where he focused on defense, post play, and recruiting.
Prior to joining the Mountain Hawks, Hall served as head coach of the Nazareth HS girls' team for two seasons. In his second year, Nazareth advanced to district playoffs with four players earning all-Mountain Valley Conference honors.
Before Nazareth, Hall was the head coach at Pocono Mountain HS, compiling a 90-42 record in five seasons with three Conference championships. The squad recorded a school record 26 wins and became the first team in Monroe County to ever win a state playoff game. Hall also coached the softball team for three years, guiding the team to a school best record of 13-5.
Hall coached at Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) as an assistant for three seasons, working primarily on defense and guard play.
A native of Curwensville, Pa., Hall is a 1989 graduate of IUP with a bachelor's degree in health and physical education. Hall and his wife Kristen have a four-year old son Tyler.
"I can't imagine being anywhere else," Hall said. "I'm thrilled to be a part of Rene's program and Penn State University. I'm really looking forward to learning a lot from Rene and Annie (Troyan). They have a wealth of knowledge to share."
Whittington returns to Big Ten Conference play after a one-year stint as the recruiting coordinator at South Alabama.
Prior to joining the Jaguar staff, Whittington served as an assistant coach at Indiana for five seasons. As the recruiting coordinator for the Hoosiers, she also worked with the post players, monitored academic progress, scouted opponents, and organized clinics. In 1997 she traveled to Austria, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic as the Indiana coaching staff coached the Big Ten All-Star Tour.
Before moving to Bloomington, Ind., Whittington served as an assistant coach at Rhode Island for two seasons. She handled all team travel, game management, and clinics until she was promoted to first assistant and recruiting coordinator in 1995.
A 1989 graduate of Dillard University in New Orleans, the Marksville, La., native earned her bachelor's degree in health and physical education. Whittington also received a master's degree in physical education in 1993 from the University of Delaware while serving as the graduate assistant coach.
Following graduation from Dillard, Whittington was the head coach of the McDonogh #35 HS junior varsity girls' team and assistant coach of the varsity squad while teaching elementary school.
"I'm really excited about being a part of the Lady Lion program and being back in the Big Ten," Whittington said. "I'm looking forward to working with a successful coach like Rene and helping to continue the winning tradition she's established."
"Annie and I are looking forward to working with both of them this summer during camps and recruiting, and especially this fall as we head onto the court with the Lady Lions," Portland added.