Jennifer Brock has won every where she has been. Luckily for Fort Lewis College, so has her replacement.
The Skyhawks’ women’s basketball team announced Maylinn Smith as Brock’s successor as assistant coach under head coach Jason Flores.
Smith, originally from Mesa, Arizona, will join the Skyhawks after serving one season as the assistant at Western State.
Before she began to pursue coaching, Smith was a standout at Grand Canyon University for three seasons before transferring to Division I Southern Utah University after graduating from Grand Canyon. She helped Southern Utah to a regular-season Big Sky championship and into the women’s National Invitation Tournament.
She led Grand Canyon to three PacWest Conference championships and into the NCAA Division II tournament all three years she played for the Lopes. She was a 2012 Women’s Division II Bulletin Honorable Mention All-America team selections and the 2011-12 conference player of the year.
“I am very excited that we were able to have Maylinn come aboard,” Flores said in a news release. “She is someone who will do a great job recruiting this region and will be a great asset in developing our players both on and off the court. She has a bright future, and I am so glad that she decided to come to FLC.”
Smith called it humbling and a privilege to join Flores and the Skyhawks.
“I have always had a great deal of respect for the Fort Lewis basketball program and can’t wait to be a part of such an excellent tradition,” she said in the news release.
Brock departed FLC after two seasons as Flores’ assistant. She took the same position as Eastern New Mexico University.
With Brock on the staff, FLC compiled a 32-22 record overall and 26-18 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. The Skyhawks made the RMAC Shootout both years.
Previously, Brock had amassed a 49-12 record on the staff at South Carolina-Aiken and a 101-26 record at West Texas A&M, where she began coaching immediately after her playing days ended with the Lady Buffs. As a player, she led West Texas A&M to a 101-25 record.
“We are extremely excited that Jennifer has decided to join us here at Eastern New Mexico,” Eastern New Mexico head coach Josh Prock said in a news release. “We feel she will be a tremendous asset to our program both on and off the court. We feel she is someone our young women will be able to look up to and lean on for advice.
“Coach Brock’s experience playing in the Lone Star Conference and having the success she had while playing at West Texas A&M will be something that will greatly help our program.”
Flores and Smith will see the majority of last season’s team, which went 16-11 overall and 13-9 in the RMAC, return.
It won’t take long for Brock and Flores to reunite, as the Eastern New Mexico Greyhounds will visit Fort Lewis for a season-opening tournament that includes Adams State and Westminster College on Nov. 13-14 at Whalen Gymnasium.
heraldsports@durangoherald.com
