University of Montevallo

MONTEVALLO (7/8) -- Marvis Hodges has been appointed as Assistant Coach for the women’s basketball program at the University of Montevallo, it has been announced by athletic director Jim Herlihy and women’s basketball head coach Brittney Ezell.

Hodges will rejoin Ezell at Montevallo after spending the past three seasons at Okaloosa Walton Community College in Niceville, Fla. There, he was responsible for assisting with recruiting and scouting, monitoring the pre-season strength and conditioning program, coordinating the film exchange and team basketball camps in addition to his on-floor coaching responsibilities. He also helped coordinate the team academic study hall, where the team was the recipient the NJCAA Academic Top 25 award in 2007.

“I am very pleased and excited to have Marvis Hodges join our staff at Montevallo.” head coach Brittney Ezell said. “He is a tireless recruiter and tremendous skill coach. I know our program and the University will both benefit from having Coach Hodges join the Falcon family.”

Prior to OWC, Hodges was at the University of Alabama for two seasons, serving as a student assistant and team manager for the women’s basketball program. He was also a team manager for the men’s and women’s basketball teams at the University of South Alabama from 2000-02.

A native of Tuscaloosa, Hodges earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Human Environmental Science from UA in 2004. He also earned an Associates Degree in Education from Faulkner State Community College in 1998.

LADY FALCONS SIGN TWO FOR 2008-09

MONTEVALLO (6/26) – The University of Montevallo women's basketball team has added two student-athletes for the 2008-09 season, it has been announced. They become the first two signees for new head women’s basketball coach Brittney Ezell.

Aurelie Derenoncourt (Louisville, Ky.), and Alicia Lewis (Youngsville, La.) will join the Lady Falcons this fall.

Derenoncourt, a 5-9 guard is a transfer from Miami Dade Community College, where she competed for coach Susan Simmons. She was a First Team All-Southern Conference pick, averaging 12.2 points, five rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.8 steals per game. She shot 36 percent from the field and 70 percent from the free throw line.

Lewis, a 5-6 guard played for Ezell at Okaloosa Walton Community College last season. A Second Team All-Panhandle Conference pick, Lewis averaged 6.6 points per game and shot 36 percent from the 3-point line and 64 percent from the free throw line.

“We are extremely excited to have Alicia and Aurelie join the program, Ezell said. "Both young ladies are of high character, are solid students and are outstanding players. They are proven winners and will be counted on for immediate impact to our team.

Aurelie is a dynamic talent from the point position being 5’9 and left-handed. She is a difficult match-up to defend on the perimeter. She is a fierce competitor and is very mentally tough.

Alicia is a big time shooter. Any coach in the Florida junior college ranks will tell you that she can really shoot the basketball and shoot it from anywhere. She is capable of moving to the point position as well because she is such a smart player with outstanding passing skills.”

Ezell may sign one or two more players later this summer to complete the 2008-09 Lady Falcon roster.

EZELL NAMED HEAD WOMEN'S BASKETBALL COACH AT UNIVERSITY OF MONTEVALLO

MONTEVALLO (4/29) – Brittney Ezell has been named the new head women’s basketball coach at the University of Montevallo it was announced Tuesday by Falcons athletic director Jim Herlihy.

Ezell comes to Montevallo after three years as the head coach at Okaloosa-Walton College in Niceville, Fla. She previously spent five years as the recruiting coordinator at the University of Alabama.

“We are excited to welcome Brittney Ezell as our new women’s basketball head coach,” said Herlihy. “Her energy and enthusiasm, her track record as a coach and student-athlete, and her ties to the state of Alabama will be big benefits for our student-athletes as we develop a competitive program in the Gulf South Conference.”

As head coach at Okaloosa-Walton, Ezell posted a 57-28 record (.671), which included an appearance in the NJCAA Regional Tournament and 20 wins in 2006. She developed 14 All-Panhandle Conference performers and developed 12 student-athletes who signed with NCAA Division I schools and two others who signed with NCAA Division II schools. She also coached two recipients of the Sandy Miller Award, which is given to the top female junior college student-athlete in Florida.

The Lady Raiders success carried over into the classroom where 12 student-athletes were named Academic All-Panhandle Conference during her tenure. Okaloosa-Walton also received a national academic award from the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association. The 2006-07 Lady Raiders were a WBCA Academic Top 25 (No. 17) program with a 3.016 cumulative GPA.

“I am thrilled to get back to the state of Alabama and join the University of Montevallo,” said Ezell. “I am excited about this opportunity and everything is in place for us to be successful there.”

Prior to OWC, Ezell was an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at the University of Alabama, where she helped produce back-to-back Top 15 ranked recruiting classes, including the No. 12 nationally ranked class in 2003-04. She helped develop four All-Southeastern Conference guards in Shondra Johnson, Kate Mastin, Monique Bivins and Navonda Moore. She also helped to recruit 10 Academic All-SEC performers. The women’s basketball guide received a WBCA Academic Top 25 honor for the 2002-03 season.

Ezell was a four-year starting point guard for the Tide, helping lead the team to a 95-34 (.736) record and four consecutive NCAA Division I “Sweet Sixteen” appearances from 1994-98. She remains in the Top 20 in career scoring, with 1,022 points and is second all-time in career assists (620) and games started (114). She was a Second Team All-SEC selection in 1998 and was named to the SEC All-Tournament Team in 1996. In 1998, Ezell was a candidate for the Francis Pomeroy Naismith Award, given to the top point guard in the country and was named to the inaugural WBCA/Honda All-Star Game for the nation’s top 20 players. She also was invited to the WNBA Rookie Combine in Chicago. Additionally, Ezell was a two-time Golden Glove recipient and two-year starter at third base and shortstop for the UA softball team. She started at third base for UA’s first SEC Tournament Championship team in 1998.

She received her bachelor’s degree in business management from UA in 1999, and her master’s degree in education administration from the University of Nebraska (Lincoln).

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Women's Basketball

2008-09 News Archive Lady Tigers Slip by Falcons at GSC Tournament, 62-52

HODGES NAMED ASSISTANT WOMEN'S BASKETBALL COACH AT UNIVERSITY OF MONTEVALLO

LADY FALCONS SIGN TWO FOR 2008-09

EZELL NAMED HEAD WOMEN'S BASKETBALL COACH AT UNIVERSITY OF MONTEVALLO

2008-09 News Archive

Lady Tigers Slip by Falcons at GSC Tournament, 62-52