Oregon Ducks women’s basketball coach Kelly Graves has made a major addition to his staff.

The Ducks announced the hiring of assistant coach and recruiting coordinator Jerise Freeman on Wednesday. Freeman joins Oregon by way of the University of Utah, where she was an assistant for three seasons and helped the team to three consecutive NCAA tournament appearances.

“I am thrilled to embark on this new journey with Oregon women’s basketball,” Freeman said in a release from UO. “I feel incredibly lucky to have the opportunity to learn from and work with Coach Graves and his amazing staff. Joining the vibrant Eugene community fills me with absolute joy, and I cannot wait to contribute to the program’s success.”

Prior to her time at Utah, Freeman was an assistant coach at Oklahoma State for four seasons and Eastern Washington for three. Other stops in her coaching career include Newman University, Missouri State (where she served as director of basketball operations), and Butler Community College in Kansas.

Originally from Wichita, Kansas, Freeman played college basketball for Seward County Community College and for University of the Pacific in California, where she graduated in 2007.

“We are so excited to add someone of Jerise’s caliber to our staff,” Graves said in the release. “Her energy is contagious and her recruiting and coaching resume speaks for itself, as she has experienced tremendous success at two different Power 5 programs. She is a great fit for our team and community and we cannot wait to get to work.”

-- Ryan Clarke covers the Oregon Ducks and Big Ten Conference for The Oregonian and co-hosts the Soccer Made in Portland and Ducks Confidential podcasts. He can be reached at rclarke@oregonian.com or @RyanTClarke.

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