Associate Head Coach Karen Aston
Full name: Karen Sue Aston When Karen Aston arrived on The University of Texas campus in the summer of 1998, she came with a proven track record in both recruiting and on-court coaching. And, as she enters her seventh season at Texas, she continues that excellence. In her five years as recruiting coordinator for head coach Jody Conradt, Aston has been instrumental in signing 14 highly-regarded and nationally-recognized recruits, and UT's last six recruiting classes have been nationally-ranked. Among the standout student-athletes in these classes are consensus high school Americans Stacy Stephens, an All-American at Texas who was a 1999-2000 Parade and USA Today All-American and rated the nation's No. 5 power forward coming out of Winnsboro HS in Winnsboro, Texas; a pair of current 6-2 seniors - Heather Schreiber (Windthorst, Texas) and Kala Bowers (Woodward, Okla.) - who were high school All-Americans and the Players of the Year in their respective states as high school seniors; 5-6 junior guard Nina Norman (Houston, Texas/Jersey Village HS) who earned elite Parade, Nike and McDonald's All-America honors as a senior; and a pair of highly-touted sophomores, both consensus HS All-Americans-6-3 Tiffany Jackson (Dallas, Texas/Duncanville HS) and 6-5 Kalee Carey (Canyon, Texas/Canyon HS). Both were USA Today, Parade, Street & Smith, McDonald's and WBCA/Nike All-Americans with Jackson earning National Freshman of the Year honors in 2003-04 as a UT rookie. Current freshman Erneisha Bailey was a 2004 WBCA/Nike, Parade and Gatorade All-American, while transfer Daria Mieloszynska earned Juco All-America honors last year. In fact, in the last two years, Texas has signed three prestigious McDonald All-Americans in the first two years of the honor (Norman, Jackson and Carey) and four WBCA/Nike All-American (Norman, Jackson, Carey and Erneisha Bailey). Aston was promoted from Assistant Coach to Associate Head Coach in July of 2000 after serving at UT's assistant coach for two seasons. Aston came to Austin from the University of North Texas, where she served as assistant women's basketball coach for two seasons (1996-98). Prior to joining the North Texas Lady Eagle staff, Aston was an assistant coach at Baylor for two seasons (1994-96). Before entering the collegiate coaching ranks, Aston was recognized as one of the top high school women's coaches in the South. She coached five years at Vilonia High School (1988-93) in Vilonia, Ark. and one year at Fort Smith Northside (1933-94). Her 1993-94 Fort Smith Northside club finished 24-10 and finished the year fifth in Class AAAA play. Aston was recognized as the State of Arkansas Northwest Region Coach of the Year. While at Vilonia, Aston also was head coach of the basketball and cross country and track programs. She was named the State of Arkansas Basketball Coach of the Year in 1992-93 after leading 36-1 Vilonia to the Class AA State Championship. Her team was ranked No. 1 in the state. Additionally, two of her Vilonia cross country teams captured Arkansas state titles in 1991 and 1992. Aston is a 1987 graduate of the University of Arkansas Little-Rock where she received her bachelor's degree in physical education. She played two seasons of standout basketball at Arkansas Little-Rock after transferring from Ouachita Baptist University. A native of Benton, Ark., Aston was a First Team All-State basketball performer at Bryant High School, earning that honor during her junior and senior seasons. She capped her scholastic career by leading Bryant to both the 1982 Arkansas State Championship (Class 4A) and to the 1982 Arkansas Overall State captured Arkansas state titles in 1991 and 1992. Aston is a 1987 graduate of the University of Arkansas Little-Rock where she received her bachelor's degree in physical education. She played two seasons of standout basketball at Arkansas Little-Rock after transferring from Ouachita Baptist University. She resides in Austin.
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