Memphis Women's Basketball Adds Former WNBA Assistant to Coaching Staff

University of Memphis women’s basketball coach Joye
Lee-McNelis announced today the hiring of former Detroit Shock assistant
Tom Cross.


MEMPHIS, TENN. – University of Memphis women’s basketball coach Joye
Lee-McNelis announced today the hiring of former Detroit Shock assistant
Tom Cross.

Cross will replace long-time Lady Tiger assistant coach Blair
Savage-Lansden who will head to Murfreesboro, Tenn., after nine years at
the U of M. Savage-Lansden’s husband Bill has served as the assistant
athletic director for marketing and fundraising at MTSU for the last
year.

A native of Dallas, Texas, Cross spent five seasons with the WNBA’s
Detroit Shock. Cross joined the squad as a staff assistant from the
inception of the team in 1998. He was promoted to assistant coach
beginning with the 1999 WNBA season, before being elevated to assistant
coach/director of scouting after the completion of the 2000 WNBA season.

Considered an excellent evaluator of talent, Cross has scouted prospects
in North America, South America, Europe, Australia and China. He also
served as player personnel director for the second half of the 2002
season.

Prior to joining the professional ranks, Cross worked as an
administrative intern at Game Plan, Inc., a Miami, Fla., based marketing
firm that was responsible for producing and selling sponsorships for the
University of Miami’s football coach’s show. While employed with Game
Plan, Cross completed his master’s degree in sports administration from
St. Thomas University in Miami in 1998.

Cross, 30, earned his bachelor’s degree in government from the
University of Texas at Austin in 1995. He played one season of Division
II basketball at Abilene Christian University during the 1991-92 season
before transferring to UT. This past week, Cross wed the former Jae
Kingi of Australia. Kingi was a point guard for the Detroit Shock in
2001.