By TOMMY REZAC
St. Joseph Post
Missouri Western State University has hired Ashton Feldhaus as the next head women’s basketball coach, becoming the 10th head coach in the history of the program.
Seen as a rising star in the coaching ranks, Feldhaus comes from Eckerd College – a Division II school in St. Petersburg, Florida. She joined the staff as an assistant in July 2019 and was elevated to associate head coach in 2022.
She spent five seasons with the Tritons, helping them to an NCAA tournament bid and a 20-plus win season in each of those five years. The Tritons have posted a 91-28 overall record during her five-year tenure.
“I am beyond excited to join Griffon Nation as the next head women’s basketball coach,” Feldhaus said in a statement. “I am thankful to Andy (Carter), (President) Elizabeth Kennedy and the MWSU athletics staff for this opportunity to build on the great tradition at Missouri Western.”
“As soon as I stepped on campus, it was clear that the support from the administration and the community is paramount to the success of Griffon Athletics. I am ready to get to St. Joseph and get to work!”
Feldhaus, just this year, was named to the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association Annual Thirty Under 30 Class. She served as the team’s academic advisor, as the Tritons ranked third nationally on the WBCA Academic Top 25 Honor Roll with a 3.78 GPA in the 2019-20 season.
“We are so excited to welcome Ashton to the Griffon family,” Missouri Western athletic director Andy Carter said in a statement.
“The national search process brought forth an incredibly talented candidate pool. With the current wave of momentum in our women’s basketball program, we were meticulous in our search for talent, fit and a proven winner. Ashton checks all the boxes. She is a rising star in the profession. Her maturity, knowledge, preparation and energy is contagious. She is a natural leader who understands the expectations.”
In her first year on the Triton sidelines, Feldhaus helped lead the team to the Sunshine State Tournament Championship and Eckerd’s fourth ever NCAA Tournament appearance.
In the 2021-22 season, she helped lead the program to another record setting season, including their fifth consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament.
In the 2022-23 season, she helped guide the program to new heights, including their sixth consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament and the program’s first Sweet 16 appearance. Eckerd ended the season at No. 9 in the WBCA Poll.
A native of Richmond, Kentucky, Feldhaus boasts a strong playing resume at the NCAA Division I level, making stops at both Butler University and the University of Tennessee-Martin.
Her first season with the Skyhawks saw Feldhaus earn Second Team All-OVC honors and OVC All-Newcomer honors and was a six-time conference newcomer of the week while averaging 11.0 points and 5.1 rebounds per game.
As a senior, she earned a repeat selection to the All-OVC second team despite being slowed by injury.
Feldhaus received a Bachelors Degree in Communications and a Masters Degree in Family and Consumer Science from UT-Martin.
She succeeds Candi Whitaker, who left Missouri Western to take the Division I coaching job at North Alabama on March 25.
A formal press conference and public reception to officially introduce Coach Feldhaus will take place next week with dates and times to be announced soon, per Missouri Western athletics.
Griffon women’s basketball has enjoyed great success the last few years, winning a Central Region title in 2022 and then an MIAA regular season title this past season.
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