With summer workouts officially underway, Rutgers Women's Basketball has finalized its coaching staff, searching across the country to fill its open spots.
The Scarlet Knights had three assistant coach openings with the departures of Tasha Pointer, Johnetta Hayes (Head Coach at Alabama State), and John Hampton (Assistant Coach at George Washington).
They also had two openings in the support staff, with former Chief of Staff Stephen Fishler (Assistant AD, General Manager at Virginia Tech) and former Director of Scouting & Technology Will McIntire (Assistant Coach at Florida Gulf Coast) also departing in the offseason.
Former Director of Basketball Operations Ali Hoesly (Executive Assistant to the Head Coach at Duke) was replaced by Alejandro Ramirez on an interim basis in the 2024-25 season, and has been elevated to the full-time position.
Jeanine Wasielewski and Nneka Enemkpali both return to the staff. Wasielewski becomes the Offensive Coordinator, while Enemkpali will serve as the program's Chief of Staff.
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Shannon LeBeauf, Sr. Associate Head Coach
Rutgers tapped into a new conference rival to find its next Associate Head Coach, as LeBeauf joins the program after 14 years as Cori Close's Associate at UCLA. Within that time, the Bruins grew into a national power and made the Final Four this past season.
“Shannon LeBeauf is truly an outstanding addition to the Rutgers Women’s Basketball family," Head Coach Coquese Washington said in a release. "She is one of the top assistant coaches in the country, with an amazing basketball background. Shannon has achieved high levels of success in her career because she has a remarkable understanding of the game, is a phenomenal recruiter and is excellent at player development, both on and off the court."
LeBeauf also coached at Duke from 2004-09, helping the Blue Devils recruit at a high level with top-five classes in 2007 and 2008. She also coached five All-Americans and future WNBA players at Duke, with the Blue Devils making the NCAA Tournament all five years and a National Championship appearance in 2006.
Before her time in Durham, LeBeauf also worked on the other side of Los Angeles with USC as an assistant from 2000-04, and also spent two seasons as an assistant at Iowa, her alma mater, after her playing career with the Hawkeyes.
"Shannon is going to have a remarkable influence on the ladies in our program, helping them grow into dynamic young women who will leave Rutgers ready to be leaders," Washington added. "Her life and basketball experiences will add immeasurably to the culture we’ve built and the direction we want to continue to go.”
LeBeauf will be the lead assistant on staff as the Senior Associate Head Coach.
“She’s my rock, period,” Close said of LeBeauf in March. “She’s had so many opportunities when she could have gotten a head job, could have gotten to another Power Four [school]. If you asked everybody in the country — and I promise you, it would come out who their top five assistant coaches are in the country — she’s on everyone’s list."
Sean LeBeauf, Assistant Coach, Defensive Coordinator
Taking over Hampton's role running the defense, LeBeauf - the husband of Shannon LeBeauf - also joins the Scarlet Knights from the West Coast, spending the previous four years as an assistant at UC-Riverside.
“I am excited to add Sean LeBeauf to our coaching staff," Washington said. "Sean has been a very successful coach during his career, specifically in the areas of defense and player development. He will be the architect of our defense, and his exceptional ability to strategize and execute on that end of the floor is a game changer.”
The Highlanders recorded three winning seasons in the last four years, including a WNIT appearance in the 2023-24 season.
LeBeauf also spent the 2020-21 season as the Associate Head Coach at Northern Colorado, helping lead the Bears to a 14-12 season. Previously, he was an assistant and Recruiting Coordinator for two years at Prairie View A&M, and before that, at Arizona for three years.
Before his time in Tucson, LeBeauf served as the Athletic Director and women's basketball Head Coach at Paris Junior College in Paris, Texas. He led the Dragons to the single-season record for wins and a national ranking, and coached an NJCAA All-American nominee, four All-Region XIV selections, five honorable mention All-Conference selections, and two Freshman of the Year nominees. He also has extended experience at the high school level and was an assistant for Southern University's men's team.
Dani Edwards, Assistant Coach, Director of Recruiting Operations
Edwards joins the program after four seasons at SMU, working as the Director of Player Personnel before becoming an Assistant Coach and Director of Recruiting Operations for four seasons.
“We are remarkably fortunate to have Dani Edwards join us here at Rutgers," said Washington. "Dani is a rising star in our profession and is a high-energy individual who is incredibly passionate about the game. Her positive spirit will shine on the court, on the recruiting trail, and in the Rutgers community.”
The Mustangs had some of their best AAC success in Edwards' time, reaching the WNIT in her first two seasons.
Edwards also has previous Big Ten experience, as prior to her time in Dallas, she worked as the Director of Player Personnel at Michigan. In her role, she assisted with the Wolverines' day-to-day operations, serving as liaison with duties related to academics, assisted the recruiting coordinator with daily operations, and oversaw the day-to-day personal matters of student athletes.
She was a standout guard at Clemson, finishing her playing career leading the Tigers in career starts (123), while ranking 14th in scoring (1,274 points) and third in steals (291). In her senior season, Edwards helped lead Clemson to its first NCAA Tournament appearance in 17 years, making it to the second round as a nine seed. She ranked third on the team in scoring with 13.3 points per game, also ranking second with 2.6 steals per game.
James Spinelli, Assistant Coach, Director of Scouting & Analytics
A native of Long Valley, New Jersey, Spinelli returns to his home state after two years as an Assistant Coach at Northeastern.
Previously, he spent five years as a video coordinator at Notre Dame, overlapping with Washington when she served as Head Coach Niele Ivey's Associate Head Coach from 2020-22.
“I am pleased to welcome James Spinelli to the Rutgers family," Washington said. "James is a tireless learner and finds a way to be highly impactful in whatever role he has on staff. His knowledge and talent in the scouting and analytics space will prove beneficial for our program, while his knack for building strong relationships will help him flourish as an assistant coach. Quite honestly, the ways James Spinelli will positively impact this program are innumerable.”
With the Huskies, Spinelli was the team's lead scout, ran in-practice development for the guards, and coached the wings. He was also in charge of all the program's analytics.
With the Fighting Irish, Spinelli was tasked with leading all internal video needs for the team from the perspectives of scouting and analysis. He also oversaw all game and scout film, assisted in the editing of scout film, and produced analytical video content for the program. He also helped on the creative side, handling graphic and creative video needs for recruiting.
Before his time in South Bend, Spinelli worked as the Video Coordinator at Temple. Similar to his role with Notre Dame, he oversaw game and scout film exchange, editing assistance, recruiting and coordinating male practice players, and other creative video tasks. He graduated from the school in 2014, working with the program as an undergraduate as a head manager.
Nneka Enemkpali, Chief of Staff
Joining Wasielewski as one of the two mainstays on the coaching staff, Enemkpali shifts to become the Chief of Staff in place of Virginia Tech-bound Fishler. She originally joined the staff in 2023 alongside Wasielewski as an Assistant Coach and Director of Recruiting.
“Having Nneka remain with our program in an administrative capacity is a boon, no doubt about it," Washington said. "She comes into the role with exceptional organizational and leadership skills, and has a wonderful knack for building rapport with practically everyone. Nneka will continue to make a mark on our program as she adjusts her focus to fashioning success in both internal and external relations. She is uniquely equipped for this position, and I am elated to have her serve our program in this manner.”
In her new role within the program, Enemkpali will oversee administrative operations for the Scarlet Knights and will serve as the primary liaison to internal support pillars for the program, including the R Fund, alumni office, ticketing service, and the Chancellor and President's offices. She will also collaborate with marketing, sports information, and brand advancement in external pillars, also helping facilitate community engagement opportunities with season ticket holders and the team's booster club, The Cager Club.
Arguably one of the most important tenets of the role, Enemkpali will also work closely with Washington in NIL efforts and work with the new revenue-sharing model approved by the House earlier in June.
With an overhauled roster and coaching staff, Rutgers enters a pivotal fourth year under Washington, with the Big Ten as strong as ever.
Stay tuned for all the latest news on Rutgers Women's Basketball and more here at The Knight Report!
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