A New Era for the Lady Raiders
Texas Tech women's basketball head coach Krista Gerlich has unveiled a six‑person full‑time staff for the upcoming 2026‑27 campaign, a move that underscores the program's upward trajectory after a 26‑8 record and a second‑round NCAA Tournament run.
The centerpiece of the announcement is the hiring of Jackson Davis as video coordinator. Davis arrives from the University of North Texas, where he spent five years across roles that included student manager, graduate assistant and, most recently, 2024 Women's Student Assistant of the Year by the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches.
Davis will oversee video operations, analytics, scouting support and player development, tasks he honed while working as a skill development assistant at the Tyler Relph Basketball Academy. His background includes a stint at Central Connecticut State and a graduate assistantship at Mississippi State, where he contributed to the Bulldogs' player development program.
Staff Additions
The new staff also welcomes Shantavia Dawkins, a former standout at Dayton and Iowa State, Hazuki Inamine, previously an assistant at Central Connecticut State, Ryan McMinn, who served as a student manager at Texas A&M University‑Corpus Christi, Isaiah Fernandez, formerly New Mexico's director of player development and a graduate assistant at Mississippi State, and Kaden Cleavinger, who spent the last two seasons at Texas Tech as a graduate manager.
The reshaped roster comes as the Lady Raiders prepare to capitalize on a season that began with 19 straight victories and finished 15‑2 at home. Coach Gerlich, who earned Big 12 Coach of the Year honors, recently signed a four‑year contract extension, signaling long‑term commitment to the program.
A recent NCAA rule change now permits all full‑time staff members to coach student‑athletes directly, a policy shift that aligns with the team's strategy to integrate analytics and on‑court development.