July 18, 2007

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - Former Lady Tiger basketball player Jordie Soso has joined the Conference USA coaching ranks by joining the women's basketball staff at Marshall University as an assistant coach for the upcoming 2007-08 season.

Soso, who lettered at Memphis from 2002-2004, spent the last season as an assistant coach at Edinboro University in Pennsylvania, helping the Division II program to a 14-14 overall record.

She began her coaching career at cross-town foe Christian Brothers University as a graduate assistant coach from 2004-2006 after playing two seasons at Memphis after transferring from Okaloosa-Walton Community College in Florida, where she played for one season following a year at Grayson County College in Texas. With the Lady Tigers, Soso averaged 6.6 points and 4.1 rebounds per game over her two-year career. She played in 54 games for the Lady Tigers, starting 22, and capping her career as a 37.3 percent shooter from the floor and a 30.2 percent shooter from beyond the arc. A 71.0 percent career free-throw shooter, Soso also added 44 career blocked shots and 71 steals in two seasons.

Soso becomes the third former Lady Tiger to enter the Conference USA coaching ranks, following teammates Jennifer Sullivan, who is in her first season as a Lady Tiger assistant coach, and Shannon Hamp, who is a graduate assistant coach at Southern Miss.

The Lady Tigers return eight letterwinners for the upcoming 2007-08 season, including senior Aroha Jennings, the team's leading scorer from last season, and junior Ashley Thornton, the Lady Tigers' leading rebounder. Also returning is 2005-06 Conference USA Sixth Player of the Year Paris Leonard, now a junior, and redshirt junior Jessica Hall, who has missed the last two seasons due to injuries. Also back in the line-up for Memphis are sophomores Hope Adams, Alysse Davis, Se'erra Fantroy and Jazmyn Green. Green was named the Most Improved Player for Memphis last season, while Thornton captured Team MVP honors.

Memphis will have two new assistant coaches for the upcoming season, as former Lady Tiger assistant Jennifer Hoover has rejoined the program as an Associate Head Coach, while Jennifer Sullivan joined the program in March of 2007.

Memphis' non-conference schedule tentatively features nine home games for the upcoming year, including the 23rd Annual Lady Tiger Thanksgiving Classic, Nov. 23-24th. The full schedule will be released in September.