Cunningham Finalizes Coaching Staff with Olivia Applewhite

SPRINGFIELD – Lady Bears head coach Beth Cunningham announced today the hiring of assistant coach, Olivia Applewhite, who rounds out the women’s hoops coaching staff.
 
Applewhite spent last season as an assistant coach for the Atlantic 10 regular season champion, Dayton Flyers. While there, Applewhite was responsible for the skill development of post players and scouted opponents.
 
Prior to her stint at Dayton, Applewhite served in multiple roles at Saint Louis University. She started out as a graduate assistant at SLU, before working her way up to director of basketball operations and then becoming an assistant coach. On the coaching staff, Applewhite assisted with all aspects of recruiting, worked with post players, served as the athletic training and sport performance liaison and scouted opponents.
 
Applewhite was named to the 2020 WBCA 30 Under 30 Honoree list.
 
Before beginning her coaching career, Applewhite played at Dayton from 2009-2013 and played three seasons of professional basketball overseas in Denmark, Ireland and France. While at Dayton, she was named the 2012-13 A10 Sixth Woman of the Year and helped lead the Flyers to a NCAA Tournament berth every season she was there.
 
Applewhite graduated from Dayton with a bachelor’s degree in public relations and a minor in marketing in 2013, before graduating with a master’s in student personnel administration from SLU in 2018.
 
Cunningham on Applewhite:
“I am excited to put the final piece of the puzzle together in terms of our Lady Bears coaching staff. Olivia Applewhite is a tremendous addition to our program – and a rising star in our profession. I actually recruited Olivia out of high school when I was at VCU, and have always been drawn to the energy and passion she brought to her playing style and now her coaching style. From her experience as a player and a coach at Dayton, she knows what it takes to compete and win in the NCAA tournament. She also knows our recruiting area and has developed great contacts from her time at Saint Louis University. Olivia will be an integral coach on and off the floor for all of our young ladies.”