Kansas City Athletics has named Dionnah Jackson-Durrett as the head coach of the UMKC Women's Basketball team. She was welcomed to campus on Tuesday.

Jackson-Durrett, a former first-round WNBA pick and one of the most highly touted assistant coaches in the nation, served as the associate head coach at Texas over the past two seasons and has coached in five consecutive NCAA Elite Eights.

"I'm honored and ecstatic to be a part of the Kansas City Athletics family," Jackson-Durrett said. "Throughout the process, the energy has been amazing and my decision developed organically. I'm supposed to be here, I feel it in my heart."

Originally from St. Louis, Jackson-Durrett has deep ties to basketball within Missouri and the Midwest at large. The 2001 Missouri High School Player of the Year put together an All-American career at Oklahoma before spending five years in the professional ranks.

"We are delighted to have Dionnah as part of our Kansas City family," said Vice Chancellor/Director of Athletics Brandon Martin. "Not only does she have impeccable integrity, her basketball acumen and coaching pedigree is unmatched."

Over the past 12 years, she has made coaching stops at Mississippi State, George Mason and Southeast Missouri State, in addition to her time with the Longhorns.

"As part of the UMKC family, Coach Jackson-Durrett will lead our women basketball players to be better athletes and fierce competitors," Chancellor Mauli Agrawal said. "Her past performance shows us that we can expect our women basketball players to thrive under her leadership. We are thrilled to have her here because we know she will emphasize, and exemplify, the importance of sportsmanship, giving back to the community and showing up for one another."

To read more about Jackson-Durrett, click here.