Memphis' Danielle O'Banion could be next KSU women's basketball coach

The Kent State atheltic department appears to be on the verge of naming its new women's basketball coach, with an announcement via press release expected to come sometime later today.

While KSU ogfficials remain tight-lipped about the candidates they've brought to campus to interview, I've begun  to hear enough whispers that leads me to believe the replacement for longtime coach Bob Lindsay (whose contract was not renewed in March after two-plus decades), will be Memphis associate head coach Danielle O'Banion.

Understand the move is not official, and is merely an educated guess on my part. But if it's true, there's a good chance O'Banion could be introduced Wednesday afternoon during a press conference.

O'Banion has been a member of the Tigers staff for the last four seasons, currently serving as Memphis' recruiting coordinator. She also coaches the team's perimeter players and directs the Memphis defensive attack. Under O'Banion's tenrure, pressure-oriented, full-court defense became a hallmark at Memphis.

Prior to helping the rebuilding process at Memphis, O'Banion spent two seasons (2007-08) coaching at her alma mater, Episcopal High School in Arlington, Va. Before landing her first head coaching job, she spent five seasons as an assistant coach at the University of Minnesota prior to a yeat at Harvard, also as an assistant coach.

O'Banion played collegiately at Boston College (1997-2001), where she helped the Eagles to the first two NCAA berths in school history in 1999 and 2000.