Chicago State University announced the addition of two assistant coaches, Kiara Carter and Chanise Jenkins, to its women's basketball coaching staff today. The two have impressive backgrounds as both players and coaches and bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the program.
Carter, a former standout player at Michigan State, joins Chicago State following coaching stops at Eastern Illinois and Wagner assisting both teams to better than .500 records in conference play, serving as both a recruiting coordinator and offensive coordinator. Her coaching journey includes stops at St. Xavier University and John Carroll University, where she helped lead both programs to impressive records on the court and national tournament appearances at both schools.
"Kiara is a young star in the profession," Cougars head coach Corry Irvin said. "She has valuable experience coaching in the NEC and recruiting ties throughout the Midwest. She is an excellent teacher, leader and role model for our student-athletes."
Jenkins, a DePaul University alumna, brings her championship pedigree and coaching experience to Chicago State. Following a distinguished playing career both domestically and internationally, Jenkins transitioned into coaching, most recently serving as an assistant coach at Loyola Chicago for the past two seasons. Following a successful playing career overseas that included stops in Switzerland, Australia and Hungary, Jenkins secured a coaching internship with the Connecticut Sun of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Jenkins ranks 13th all-time in DePaul women's basketball history with 1,605 career points. She took home All-BIG EAST Conference honors three times, highlighted by a senior campaign in which she was named the 2015-16 BIG EAST Player of the Year after averaging 14.5 points, 5.0 assists and 1.6 steals as the Blue Demons captured a regular season conference title and advanced to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament.
"Chanise has a wealth of experience as a championship player and a coach," Irvin said. "She will be a great mentor, teacher and leader for our student-athletes. Her connections throughout the city of Chicago will assist with recruiting and building our presence within the community."
The additions of Carter and Jenkins, along with Giana George as Director of Basketball Operations, complete the coaching staff for the women's basketball program at Chicago State. Irvin emphasized the collective expertise and passion of the staff, highlighting their commitment to fostering a championship culture within the program.
"I'm excited to officially welcome assistant coaches Chanise Jenkins and Kiara Carter to the staff," Irvin said. "We believe our staff has a unique combination of experience, expertise and passion for teaching, leading, and mentoring student-athletes. We are looking forward to completing our roster, preparing for summer workouts and building a championship culture. It truly is an exciting time to be a Chicago State Cougar!"
About Chicago State Athletics
Chicago State University sponsors 16 Division I intercollegiate athletic teams and competes in the Northeast Conference (effective July 2024) with the exception of men's and women's tennis who will compete in the Horizon League during the 2024-25 season. CSU's athletic program includes over 150 student-athletes that compete in basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, tennis, indoor and outdoor track, triathlon and volleyball.Â
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