Basketball Teams Start Season with New Staff

Jill Lewis joined the Westerwinds and Rodney Perry joined the Leathernecks basketball teams as assistant coaches prior to the 2007-2008 season.

Jill LewisLewis most recently served as head coach and assistant athletics director for Allen County Community College in Iola, Kan., leading the Lady Red Devils last season to a 14-16 record and an 8-10 conference mark.

Before joining the Allen County staff, Lewis served as head coach at the University of Arkansas-Monticello, where she compiled a two-year record of 22-29 from 2002-04, including a 13-11 mark in her first season.

The Leonard, Texas, native also served as an assistant at Henderson State University, Arkadelphia, Ark., before moving on to UAM during the 2001-02 season.

Lewis was an all-state performer on her high school basketball team before earning a scholarship to University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). She spent her sophomore season at Trinity Valley Community College, Texas before transferring back to UTEP for her final two seasons. While at Trinity Valley, she represented the United States at the Pan-American Games in Brazil.

Rodney PerryPerry joined the Leathernecks staff directly from Miller, Mo., High School, where he was head coach during the 2006-07 season. Previously, Perry served for two seasons as coordinator of basketball operations and one season (2005-06) as an assistant coach at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Penn. His college experience also included a season (2002-03) as assistant coach at Southwest Baptist University, Bolivar, Mo.

The Forth Smith, Ark., native began his coaching career in 1994 as an assistant in the Missouri high school system. He coached at Willard High School and Springfield Central High School before landing the head coaching position at Purdy High School in 2001-02. He led Purdy to its best record in 10 years before jumping to the collegiate ranks.

Perry played two years at the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith before transferring to Missouri State, where he helped lead the Bears to a pair of postseason appearances in 1992 and 1993.

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