Story Poster
NC State Women's Basketball

WBB: Nikki West Returning As Assistant Coach

August 26, 2020
3,827

RALEIGH – NC State women's basketball head coach Wes Moore announced Wednesday that Nikki West will be returning to his coaching staff as an assistant coach.

West previously spent five seasons (2013-14 through 2017-18) on the Wolfpack staff, and she rejoins the Pack after spending the 2019-20 campaign as an assistant coach for the Charlotte 49ers.

"We're blessed to have Nikki return to NC State," said Moore. "She brings a wealth of college coaching experience, as well as 16 years of working directly with me at the Division I level. She is very familiar with our system and the high-character, elite athletes we recruit to play for the Wolfpack. As a former ACC player herself, Nikki is able to relate to and mentor the young ladies she works with, both on the court and off, and she is instrumental in assisting them in having successful careers and lives."

In her five seasons with the Wolfpack, West helped the program post a 112-52 (.683) overall record and a 51-29 (.638) record in ACC games. She helped lead NC State to postseason invitations each year, including three NCAA Tournament appearances and a Sweet 16 berth in 2018. Under her guidance, the Pack put together four 20+ win campaigns, two top-four ACC finishes, and three top-25 national finishes.

"NC State is like home, a part of my family, and I'm very excited to be returning," said West. "Most importantly, I am grateful to be reunited with my mentor and friend, Coach Moore."

In her first season at NC State (2013-14), West helped the Wolfpack to a 25-8 record, a fourth-place finish in the ACC standings and an NCAA Tournament appearance. After an 18-15 campaign in 2014-15 and a 20-11 season in 2015-16, she helped lead NC State to the NCAA Tournament Round of 32 in 2016-17 with an impressive 23-9 record (12-4 ACC). She also aided in authoring upsets of four top-15 teams throughout that season: No. 2/2 Notre Dame, No. 6/7 Florida State, No. 12/15 Duke and No. 9/7 Louisville.

During the 2017-18 campaign, West's final season in her first stint with the Pack, NC State went 26-9 on the year and won two NCAA Tournament games in Raleigh before advancing to the Sweet 16 for the first time in 11 years.

West worked closely with 2014 WNBA Draft picks Markeisha Gatling (first round) and Kody Burke (third round). During the 2013-14 season, she helped Gatling become the nation's most accurate shooter and helped the Wolfpack's star center achieve an 81 percent increase in scoring output from the prior season (9.6 ppg to 17.4 ppg).

Prior to following Moore to NC State in April 2013, she served on his staff at Chattanooga for nine seasons. That included six years as an assistant coach before she was elevated to associate head coach for her final three seasons with the Lady Mocs.

At Chattanooga, West played a key role in the team's seven Southern Conference titles and five NCAA Tournament selections. The Lady Mocs earned 25 First Team All-SoCon honors, five SoCon Tournament MVPs and 23 All-Tournament selections dating back to her first season with the program (2004-05). The team posted an overall record of 220-68 (.763) with West on the sidelines.

No stranger to the Atlantic Coast Conference, the former Nikki Blassingame was an All-ACC performer at Clemson from 1996-99. She helped the Tigers to four NCAA Tournament appearances and played in 126 career games.

Clemson won the program's first ACC Tournament title in 1996 when West was a freshman. The Tigers repeated that feat in 1999 when she was named to the ACC All-Tournament Team during her senior year. That 1998-99 squad won a school-record 26 games, reached the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 and finished the season ranked 10th by the Associated Press.

As a senior, she started all 31 games while averaging 10.4 points and 7.9 rebounds. West graduated in 2000 with a degree in early childhood education from Clemson. She was a three-year member of the athletic department's Tiger Honor Roll.

West also previously coached for USC Upstate (2002-04), the Carolina Lady Flames AAU team (2002) and the junior varsity/varsity teams at Dorman High School (2000-02).

A native of Seneca, S.C., West led Seneca High School to the state championship her senior year. In June 2011, she married Marcus West, who is now an assistant head coach and co-defensive coordinator for the Charlotte 49ers' football team.

Discussion from...

WBB: Nikki West Returning As Assistant Coach

2,287 Views | 0 Replies | Last: 3 yr ago by NC State Athletics
There are not any replies to this post yet.
Refresh
Page 1 of 1
 
×
subscribe Verify your student status
See Subscription Benefits
Trial only available to users who have never subscribed or participated in a previous trial.