May 29, 2008
RUSTON - Louisiana Tech head coach Chris Long announced Thursday that he has hired LaRita Harrington-Wilcher as an assistant coach on his Lady Techster basketball staff.
Harrington-Wilcher comes to Tech from South Alabama and joins newly named associate head coach Teresa Weatherspoon. Her hiring is pending the approval of the Board of Supervisors for the University of Louisiana System.
"I'm thrilled to have LaRita join the Lady Techster program," Long said. "She brings a wealth of experience and passion. She is a driven person that has good knowledge of the game and great instincts that will enable her to be an asset on the floor, on the recruiting trail and with our players."
Harrington-Wilcher served as an assistant coach at South Alabama since 2002 where she was instrumental in helping lead the Jaguars to four winning seasons, two Sun Belt Conference regular season titles and two postseason appearances.
"I am excited to be apart of the Lady Techster basketball family and to work for Coach Long, who is a great person, a great coach and a proven winner. This is a wonderful opportunity and a welcomed challenge in my coaching career.
"I look forward to being apart of a program with such a rich tradition of success in the game of women's basketball. I am truly honored to be a Lady Techster."
In her first two seasons as an assistant coach at South Alabama, the Jaguars won the Sun Belt Conference West Division regular season title and advanced to the first round of the WNIT.
Harrington-Wilcher was instrumental in recruiting and signing 2004 Sun Belt Conference Freshman of the Year Whitney Woodard and 2005 SBC Newcomer of the Year JoAnna Williams.
"LaRita is a very loyal person that will fit in very well with our staff," Long said. "I've had the opportunity to get to know her over the last three years and have been very impressed with her from the first time we met."
During her six seasons at South Alabama, the Jaguars recorded a mark of 103-74.
Prior to her days in Mobile, Harrington-Wilcher served for one season as an assistant coach at New Mexico State (2001-02), and three seasons at Lewis University (1998-2001).
Harrington-Wilcher earned her bachelor's degree in kinesiology from Long Beach State in 1998 where she played one year for the 49ers after transferring from Lewis University where she played her first three seasons.
She comes to Ruston with her husband Eric and her one-year-old son, Eric James Wilcher.
