LORETTO, Pa. – Head Coach Keila Whittington announced the addition of three assistant coaches to the Saint Francis Women's Basketball staff on Tuesday. Mike Whitling, Brooklyn Taylor ('16) and Erika Brown have all joined the Red Flash staff.

"It is sometimes tough to go through staff changes in a program," said Whittington. "but when you find great people as well as great coaches to join your staff, it makes for a seamless and successful transition."

Whitling comes to Loretto after spending the past five seasons as the head coach at Mansfield University (Pa.), where he managed all phases of a Division II basketball program. Prior to his time at Mansfield, Whitling spent three seasons at Gannon as an assistant coach, helping the program reach two NCAA Tournaments and five players reach 1,000 career points. He also served as the head of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. Whitling worked three years as an assistant at Anderson University (SC), winning the 2012-2013 SAC Regular Season and Tournament Championships and competing in the 2013 NCAA Division II Tournament - Southeast Regional. Whitling also coached two years as the DuBois Area JV Boy's Head Coach and began his coaching career as a women's basketball graduate assistant at Clarion. He earned a bachelor of science in business administration in finance from Clarion ('04) and a master's of education in science education from Clarion ('08).

Coach Whittington on Whitling: "I wanted someone who could provide immediate assistance with knowledge of all aspects of coaching a program, and I am happy to have Mike fulfill this role. He will bring insight from all of his experiences, and he is ready to assist us with achieving the goals of our program."

Taylor returns to Saint Francis after grooming herself in top level Division I programs. Taylor has spent the last three years as an assistant coach at Akron, serving as the video coordinator in 2018-19, before being promoted to an assistant coaching role in 2019. As an assistant coach, she assisted in recruiting, scouting, skill development, academic liaison, fundraising and game promotions. She began her coaching career at Mercer, serving as a graduate assistant from 2016-18. Mercer was ranked 25^th in the country in 2018 and won the Southern Conference Regular Season and Tourney Championships, earning an NCAA Tournament berth. She is an alumna of Saint Francis ('16), where she earned a bachelor's degree in exercise physiology. While a student-athlete, she completed an internship with the strength and conditioning staff, served on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), as a Student-Athlete Mentor (SAM) and was a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and the Exercise Physiology Organization.

Coach Whittington on Taylor: "It is always great when you have an alum who wants to return to coach at her alma mater. Brooklyn had specific reasons and goals in mind when she decided to pursue this opportunity, mainly wanting to give back to a university and a program that had given her so much as a young adult. I am very excited to have her back in Loretto, a place that she calls 'home'."

Brown comes to Loretto after spending last season as an assistant women's basketball coach at Harcum College. While at Harcum, Brown was responsible for recruiting, scouting opponents and skill development, while also serving as the academic liaison. Brown was the video coordinator at Stony Brook in 2019-20, winning the America East Conference Championship with a 28-3 overall record. Brown began her coaching career at Florida International University, spending two years as the assistant director of basketball operations and video coordinator. Brown was a four-year starter and captain at Delaware ('17), where she earned a degree in health behavior science. At the conclusion of her collegiate career, Brown ranked 10^th in program history in points (1,402) and was in the top 20 in seven other career categories.

Coach Whittington on Brown: "Erika and I share a Blue Hen connection, where we are both University of Delaware alums. She is very passionate about coaching and wanting to contribute in any way to the success of our program. She also brings infectious energy that will overflow into our team and staff."
 
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To learn more about Saint Francis University, visit francis.edu.