George Washington University Athletics
GW Names Harrison To Women's Hoops Staff
7/13/1999 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
WASHINGTON, DC (July 13, 1999) -- The George Washington University women's basketball head coach Joe McKeown named Baltimore native Tori Harrison an assistant coach.
Harrison joins the staff at GW as an assistant coach after serving two seasons at Minnesota. Harrison brings a wealth of experience to the program, having been a standout player at Louisiana Tech, a head coach at Coppin State for five years and an assistant coach at three schools for six years. Harrison will be involved with all aspects of the program at GW.
Harrison was the head coach at Coppin State for five years from 1992-97. During her tenure the Eagles posted a 61-77 record, including three of the four .500-plus seasons in the school's history. Harrison was named the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in 1993. She also served as Coppin State's Senior Woman Administrator.
Harrison was a member of the coaching staff for the USA Basketball squad that competed in the 1997 Jones Cup competition in Taiwan. Harrison served as an assistant with Jane Albright-Dieterle (Wisconsin) and Gary Blair (Arkansas).
"Tori is a legend in women's basketball," said McKeown. "She played in two Final Fours at Louisiana Tech, and was named to the all-Final Four team in 1987. She has coached with a USA Basketball team, and has collegiate head coaching experience as well. We're very fortunate to be able to tap into her wealth of knowledge and experience. Her experience will dramatically benefit our players - she's a great role model."
Prior to her stint at Coppin State, Harrison was an assistant coach at Clemson (1991-92), Wake Forest (1990-91 and 1987-88) and Alabama (1988-89).
Harrison earned national recognition at Towson Catholic High School, receiving Parade all-America recognition in 1983. From there she went on to a successful four-year career at Louisiana Tech, where she earned a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration in 1987.
The captain of the Lady Techsters as a junior and senior, the 6-4 center was the team's MVP in 1985, 1986 and 1987. Lousiana Tech appeared in the NCAA Tournament Final Four Harrison^s freshman season in 1984, and the Lady Techsters' were the national runner-up in 1987 when Tennessee claimed their first national title. Harrison was named the Harrison scored 1,868 career points and pulled down 1,020 career rebounds. He defense was as solid as her offense, and she issued a Louisiana Tech record 341 career blocks. She still holds the school record for blocks in a game (9) and in a season (103, 1986).
