THE FLATS – Georgia Tech women’s basketball associate head coach Blanche Alverson has been named the new women’s basketball head coach at University of San Diego, the school announced Tuesday.
“I’m so proud of Blanche because being a head coach has been a goal of hers since she got into coaching,” commented Georgia Tech head coach Nell Fortner. “I’ve known Blanche for many years – I recruited her out of high school, coached her and have been honored to work with her at Georgia Tech for the past six years. She helped us lay the foundation of our program at Georgia Tech, and I know she is going to do great things at San Diego. We wish her the very best.”
A six-year member of Georgia Tech’s staff, Alverson helped guide the Yellow Jackets to four postseason appearances, including three NCAA Tournaments, three 20-plus win campaigns, 12 wins over ranked opponents and the program’s second-ever NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 run in 2021.
Georgia Tech concluded a storied 2024-25 season by making its 12th NCAA Tournament appearance. The Yellow Jackets spent 11 weeks in the national rankings this past season, climbing as high as No. 13 in the Associated Press poll and setting program records for longest win streak (15 games), three-pointers made in a game (15 vs. Florida A&M) and three-point attempts in a game (38 vs. Mississippi State). Georgia Tech opened the season going 15-0 for the best start in program history and also recorded the largest margin of victory over an Atlantic Coast Conference opponent with a 100-61 rout over Pittsburgh.
In 2020-21, Alverson helped Georgia Tech advance to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 in its 10th overall appearance in the Big Dance. The Yellow Jackets finished third in the ACC that season, marking their highest outright finish, and earned their highest seeding in the ACC Tournament at No. 3.
Alverson arrived on The Flats with Fortner in 2019 and was promoted to associate head coach in August 2022. A native of Andalusia, Ala., Alverson held coaching stints at University of Southern California, New Mexico State and Texas Tech prior to Georgia Tech.
A four-year letterwinner at Auburn from 2009-13, Alverson played three years for Fortner. She finished her career second all-time in three-point shots made and became just the fourth Tiger in program history to have 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, 100 assists, 100 steals and 50 blocks. Alverson was a two-time Southeastern Conference Scholar Athlete of the Year in 2012 and 2013. She earned a bachelor of science degree in biomedical sciences in 2012 and a master of science in sports management from Texas Tech in 2016.
GEORGIA TECH WOMEN’S BASKETBALL CELEBRATES 50 YEARS
Georgia Tech is celebrating the 50th anniversary of women’s basketball on The Flats this season. Under the direction of coach Jim Culpepper, Georgia Tech competed its first year in the Georgia Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (GAIAW) in 1974-75 before joining the ACC in 1979-80. Tech has seen many highlights over 50 years, including playing in the NCAA Tournament 11 times, with two Sweet 16 appearances (2012, 2021), and producing nine WNBA draft picks, featuring first round draft picks Alex Montgomery and Sasha Goodlett. In its first postseason berth in school history, Georgia Tech captured the 1992 National Women’s Invitational Tournament. Currently in its sixth season under head coach Nell Fortner, the Yellow Jackets have reach postseason play three times in the last five years.
Full Steam Ahead
Full Steam Ahead is a $500 million fundraising initiative to achieve Georgia Tech athletics’ goal of competing for championships at the highest level in the next era of intercollegiate athletics. The initiative will fund transformative projects for Tech athletics, including renovations of Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field (the historic home of Georgia Tech football), the Zelnak Basketball Center (the practice and training facility for Tech basketball) and O’Keefe Gymnasium (the venerable home of Yellow Jackets volleyball), as well as additional projects and initiatives to further advance Georgia Tech athletics through program wide-operational support. All members of the Georgia Tech community are invited to visit atfund.org/FullSteamAhead for full details and renderings of the renovation projects, as well as to learn about opportunities to contribute online.
For the latest information on the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, follow us on X (@GTWBB), Instagram (GTWBB), Facebook (Georgia Tech Women’s Basketball) or visit us at www.ramblinwreck.com.
