University of Connecticut Athletics
Jamelle Elliott to Depart UConn Women’s Basketball Program
6/11/2026 2:00:00 PM | Women's Basketball
STORRS, Conn. – After 18 seasons as an assistant coach for her alma mater, Jamelle Elliott announced she is stepping down from the UConn women's basketball program to pursue opportunities outside coaching.
"Jamelle spent more than 30 years in and around our program as a player and a coach and she was an important piece of seven championships here at UConn," head coach Geno Auriemma said. "She has impacted generations of Connecticut basketball players, whether it was in her playing career as a captain and a leader, or in her coaching tenure as a recruiter, teacher and mentor. The impact that Jamelle had here at UConn as a student-athlete, as an administrator, as a basketball coach, very few can match. I'm really proud of her accomplishments here.
"It's going to be difficult to replace someone with that much experience who had that much invested in UConn. I know that the passion she brought for the university as a whole, for the basketball program, for the players, it's going to be difficult to replace. But I know that in the next phase of her life, she'll bring the same passion and intensity and the same love of working with other people that she had here. We'll miss Jamelle tremendously, but I'm grateful for all the time we spent together and all that we accomplished together."
"I want to thank Coach Auriemma for seeing something in a young girl from the inner city of D.C. enough to be a part of this program," Elliott said. "In the over 30 years since, he has had such a profound impact on my life as a coach, mentor and friend. Having the opportunity to impact so many young women and help provide the same meaningful experience I had as a student-athlete has been the greatest part of this journey.
"This was not an easy decision, but I know it is the right time for me to begin a new chapter. It was a privilege and honor to wear the Husky uniform and be a part of the coaching staff. UConn will always hold a special place in my heart, and I will always love and support our program and the university."
Elliott served two stints on the UConn coaching staff: from 1998-09 and from 2020-26.
A player on the UConn team that won the 1995 National Championship, Elliott coached the Huskies to the 2000, '02, '03, '04, '09 and '25 National Championships. During her coaching tenure with the Huskies, UConn won 31 conference championships and competed in 12 NCAA Final Fours.
A four-year letterwinner, Elliott helped create the foundation of the UConn women's basketball dynasty and finished her career ranked No. 2 among UConn's all-time rebounding leaders (1,054), No. 5 in BIG EAST career rebounding (558) and No. 11 in UConn career scoring (1,387).
Elliott, at the time, became only the second player in UConn history to surpass the 1,000 point and 1,000 rebound milestones. She is among the UConn career leaders for games played with 135, never missing a single game or practice in her four collegiate years. In her four years as a player, UConn posted an overall record of 117-18, competed in two NCAA Final Fours and won six BIG EAST Championships.
Elliott served as the head coach at Cincinnati from 2009-18. The Bearcats earned two postseason berths and every student-athlete who exhausted their eligibility earned their degree.
After Cincinnati, Elliott returned to UConn as the Associate Athletic Director for The National C Club, UConn's student-athlete alumni organization, from 2018-20.
Elliott graduated from UConn in 1996 with a bachelor's degree in business management. She earned her master's degree in sport management from UConn in 1997. In April 2024, Elliott was inducted in the UConn Business School Hall of Fame.
A national search for Elliott's replacement will commence shortly.
