Former Dade County and University of Georgia women's basketball standout Ashley Houts has been hired as Missouri State's director of basketball operations.
The Lady Bears are coached by former Tennessee guard and former UT-Chattanooga assistant coach Kellie Harper.
"We are very excited and fortunate to have Ashley Houts joining our staff," Harper said Monday through a university release. "Her playing experience and knowledge of the game will be valuable assets to our staff. Ashley's work ethic and outgoing personality will provide positive examples for our players."
Harper, who was a part of three national championship teams with Pat Summitt's Lady Vols in the late 1990s, is 72-57 through four seasons at Missouri State with one NCAA tournament and two WNIT appearances.
Among the duties for the 29-year-old Houts will be overseeing Missouri State's film exchange and equipment operations, coordinating team travel arrangements and operating Lady Bears basketball camps.
Houts started 130 games at Georgia and competed in four NCAA tournaments. She was the Southeastern Conference's freshman of the year in 2007 and finished her college career with 1,514 points, 565 assists, 319 steals and 398 rebounds.
As a senior in 2010, she was named first-team All-SEC.
Houts was the 16th overall selection in the 2010 WNBA draft. She was picked by the New York Liberty but wound up playing that year with the Washington Mystics, averaging 5.5 minutes and 0.9 point per game. More recently she played in Israel, France and Spain.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.