Abilene Christian University assistant coach and former Hardin-Simmons University All-American Kendra Hassell is the new Patriots basketball coach.

 For the second time, UT Tyler has hired a women’s basketball coach from a West Texas school.

Abilene Christian University assistant coach and former Hardin-Simmons University All-American Kendra Hassell is the new Patriots basketball coach, Dr. Howard Patterson, Vice President for Student Affairs and athletic director, announced Monday at the Louise Herrington Patriot Center.

She replaces coach Kevin Baker who received took a job at Angelo State University. Baker was an assistant at West Texas A&M before coming to UT Tyler.

Hassell is the fourth coach in the UT Tyler women’s basketball history.

“We are extremely pleased to welcome Kendra and her family to the City of Tyler and to UT Tyler,” Patterson said. “Kendra had a tremendously successful playing career in the American Southwest Conference, setting numerous records during her time at Hardin-Simmons.

“Kendra knows what the D3 experience is like, and will use that knowledge to help lead the UT Tyler women’s basketball team to even more success in the years to come.”

Hassell and her husband, Derek, have a daughter, Kaylee.

Hassell spent two seasons as an assistant coach with NCAA Division-I program Abilene Christian, helping to lead the Wildcats to 35 wins in two seasons while competing as a member of the Southland Conference.

Prior to ACU, Hassell spent three seasons coaching at Carroll University in Wisconsin where she helped the Pioneers to three straight winning seasons while coaching two Midwestern Conference Player of the Year award recipients.

Prior to joining the Carroll staff, Hassell spent one season (2009-10) on the staff at Texas Woman’s University where she helped lead TWU to a 15-12 record and 9-5 mark in the Lone Star Conference.

Prior to coaching at TWU, Hassell coached for one season at Fort Worth Paschal High School, and before that she spent three seasons as assistant coach at Charleston Southern University.

Prior to coaching at Charleston Southern, Hassell was as an assistant coach at Forney High School in Forney (2005-2006) and a graduate assistant coach at Oklahoma State University (2003-2005).

Hassell played four years at Hardin-Simmons and was a two-time Kodak first-team All-American, Verizon Academic All-American and American Southwest Conference Female Athlete of the Year. She was also named Conference Player of the Year and Region Player of the Year in 2001, 2002 and 2003. Hassell received the 2003 NCAA Texas Woman of the Year honors and was selected to the Division III Hoops All-Decade team in 2007.

In 2014, Hassell was inducted into the American Southwest Conference Hall of Honor. She finished her Hardin-Simmons career ranked second all-time in points scored (1,759) averaging 15.6 points per game. She is the all-time leader in field goals attempted (1,292) and is tied for the lead in career field goals made (694). She also finished ranked third all-time in rebounds (955).

Hassell graduated from Hardin-Simmons with a bachelor degree in behavioral science while earning her master’s degree in exercise science at Oklahoma State in 2005.