KU women’s basketball coach Schneider hires Aqua Franklin as associate head coach

Three weeks after being announced as Kansas’ new women’s basketball coach, Brandon Schneider has completed his staff for the 2015-2016 season.

Schneider announced Wednesday the hiring of associate head coach Aqua Franklin, a former KU assistant who also spent time as an assistant to Schneider at Stephen F. Austin, his previous post.

Schneider previously retained Katie O’Connor, an assistant under Bonnie Henrickson, and hired Damitria Buchanan, who spent the past two years as an assistant at Texas Tech. Buchanan is also a former assistant to Schneider at Stephen F. Austin.

Franklin, meanwhile, spent the past three years as an assistant at Mississippi State, where she helped coordinate the Bulldogs’ recruiting efforts. Franklin was an assistant under Henrickson during the 2011-2012 season and an assistant under Schneider at Stephen F. Austin in 2010-2011. A graduate of Texas A&M, Franklin also spent time playing in the WNBA.

“I believe coach Aqua to be one of the premier recruiters in the country, and the signing classes she has been a part of prove that point,” Schneider said in a release. “The fact ... she was a Big 12 champion, led her team to an Elite Eight and played professionally both overseas and in the WNBA gives her instant credibility both with current and future players.”

Schneider succeeded Henrickson in late April following the Jayhawks’ 15-17 finish last season. The Jayhawks also finished 6-12 in the Big 12.

This story was originally published May 13, 2015 at 4:30 PM with the headline "KU women’s basketball coach Schneider hires Aqua Franklin as associate head coach."