Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s women’s basketball program has announced a pair of strategic additions to its coaching staff ahead of the upcoming season.
New Faces on the Coaching Staff
Caprice Smith, a DePaul University alumna who scored 1,199 points and earned All‑BIG EAST honors in 2007, returns to the Midwest after stints as an assistant at the University of Illinois at Chicago and as a player overseas. At UIC she helped the Flames secure 19 victories in the 2022‑23 campaign and contributed to three straight postseason appearances, a testament to her ability to translate playing experience into on‑court development.
Joining her is Jessica Kelliher, a graduate assistant who brings a global résumé that includes professional contracts in Spain, Sweden and Belgium, where she captured a league championship and was named MVP. Kelliher also excelled at Lewis University, amassing more than 2,700 career points and over 1,000 rebounds while earning Division II All‑American honors.
Head Coach Samantha Quigley Smith highlighted the complementary strengths of the new staff members, noting that Smith’s deep roots in Illinois basketball and Kelliher’s international perspective will enrich the Cougars’ recruiting and player development strategies. The moves signal the program’s commitment to building a competitive foundation as it looks to contend in the coming years.