THE FLATS – After three seasons as assistant coach on the Georgia Tech women’s basketball staff, Blanche Alverson has been promoted to associate head coach, head coach Nell Fortner announced.
Alverson came to The Flats in April of 2019 after spending two seasons at the University of Southern California and has helped the Yellow Jackets to consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, including a run to the Sweet 16 in 2021.
“I’m happy to announce the title change for Blanche Alverson,” commented Fortner. “Blanche has been with me from the start at Georgia Tech and will now be an associate head coach for women’s basketball, along with offensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator. I’ve known Blanche for a long time and I couldn’t be more pleased with what she brings to Georgia Tech women’s basketball. She has been instrumental in the success over this program of the past three years.”
Recognized as one of the up-and-coming women’s basketball coaches in the country, Alverson was named to the WBCA Thirty Under 30 list in 2021. The program honors coaches that exemplified community involvement, mentorship and impact.
During Alverson’s three seasons on The Flats, the Yellow Jackets have gone 58-31 (.652) overall and 33-21 (.611) in Atlantic Coast Conference play. In her first season in 2019-20, Tech defeated four top-25 programs, including then-No. 4 NC State for the highest ranked road win in program history. Her second year on The Flats, Alverson helped the Yellow Jackets to a storied season, finishing third place in the ACC with a 12-6 league record, earning an at-large bid to the 2021 NCAA Championship and advancing to the Sweet 16 for just the second time in program history.
Several Yellow Jackets have collected accolades under Alverson’s mentorship, highlighted by a pair of WBCA NCAA Division I Coaches’ All-America honorable mentions in Lorela Cubaj and Lotta-Maj Lahtinen in 2021. Cubaj and Lahtinen both garnered all-ACC recognition in 2021 and 2022.
The Andalusia, Ala., native served as an assistant coach at USC from 2017-19 before joining Georgia Tech. While with the Trojans, Alverson helped ink the No. 5 recruiting class in the country and tutored six to All-Pac-12 honors in two seasons. Prior to her time at USC, Alverson spent one year at New Mexico State as an assistant coach where she helped sign two top-150 prospects as part of her co-recruiting coordinator role. The Aggies won their third-straight Western Athletic Conference Tournament Championship in 2017, finishing the season undefeated in league action and earning the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Alverson started her coaching career as a graduate assistant at Texas Tech, spending two seasons with the Red Raiders from 2014-16. A four-year letterwinner at Auburn from 2009-13, Alverson played three years for Fortner.
In addition to Alverson’s promotion, Tasha Butts, who was elevated to associate head coach in 2021, has also been named the defensive coordinator for women’s basketball.
“Tasha’s fight, will and determination is so incredibly strong and we’re so fortunate to have her on this staff,” noted Fortner. “What she brings to this staff is invaluable and we missed her last year. We’re happy to have her back and I couldn’t be prouder to name her our defensive coordinator.”
Georgia Tech women’s basketball opens the 2022-23 season with an exhibition contest against Clayton State on Nov. 3. The season officially gets underway on Nov. 10 against Georgia State at McCamish Pavilion. The Yellow Jackets return seven letterwinners from last season’s squad and welcome six newcomers to the roster.
Alexander-Tharpe Fund
The Alexander-Tharpe Fund is the fundraising arm of Georgia Tech athletics, providing scholarship, operations and facilities support for Georgia Tech’s 400-plus student-athletes. Be a part of developing Georgia Tech’s Everyday Champions and helping the Yellow Jackets compete for championships at the highest levels of college athletics by supporting the Annual Athletic Scholarship Fund, which directly provides scholarships for Georgia Tech student-athletes. To learn more about supporting the Yellow Jackets, visit atfund.org.
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