"I am so excited to add someone with Sasha’s experience level to our coaching staff," said Georgia Tech women's basketball head coach MaChelle Joseph. "She is a tireless worker that understands the recruiting process at a high level having been an assistant coach at the major Division I level and a head coach in Division II. I know our student-athletes will benefit from Sasha being a member of our Georgia Tech women’s basketball family."
THE FLATS – Bringing over 15 years of collegiate coaching experience to The Flats, Sasha Palmer joins the women’s basketball program as an assistant coach as announced by head coach MaChelle Joseph. Palmer arrives on The Flats from Wisconsin, where she most recently served in the same position for the past three seasons.
“I am so excited to add someone with Sasha’s experience level to our coaching staff,” stated Joseph. “She is a tireless worker that understands the recruiting process at a high level having been an assistant coach at the major Division I level and a head coach in Division II. I know our student-athletes will benefit from Sasha being a member of our Georgia Tech women’s basketball family.”
“I am truly blessed to have the opportunity to be a part of Georgia Tech’s women’s basketball program and I want to thank Coach Joseph for her belief in me,” commented Palmer. “We have a great staff and I look forward to doing big things here at Georgia Tech.”
While at Wisconsin, Palmer also acted as the recruiting coordinator, helping ink a top 25 recruiting class in 2018 which included two top-100 ranked prospects. With the Badgers, Palmer oversaw the player development of the program’s post players, coaching three to all-Big Ten Conference honors and two to professional playing contracts overseas.
Palmer spent the two seasons prior to her arrival at Wisconsin as an assistant coach at Syracuse (2013-15). In her two seasons with the Orange, Syracuse combined for a 45-20 record, secured two NCAA Tournament berths and broke into the nation’s top 25 team rankings both seasons. Additionally, Palmer helped Syracuse finish in the top five in the Atlantic Coast Conference both seasons and helped guide Briana Day to breaking a Syracuse program record with 322 rebounds in a single season (2014-15).
Before breaking in to the Division I ranks, Palmer served as the head coach at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown for six seasons (2007-13) where she produced an 87-80 overall record at the Division II school. Palmer brought her recruiting talent to Pitt-Johnstown where she mentored two West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year in Jasmine Harper (2012-13) and Kaitlynn Fratz (2011-12). Fratz also garnered all-WVIAC honors in 2012-13.
From 2003-07, Palmer held the position of assistant coach at Shippensburg University. During her tenure at Shippensburg, Palmer worked with the 2004 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division Rookie of the Year and two-time all-PSAC Western Division selection Shanna Oaddams, as well as Kim Strickland, who ranked second in career blocks and sixth in career rebounds for the Lady Raiders. Palmer also coached the 2007 PSAC Rookie of the Year Lauren Beckley, who led the conference in scoring as a freshman.
A letterwinner at Northern Michigan University, Palmer led NMU to the NCAA Division II Great Lakes Region championship in 1998, the first of three-straight regional championship game appearances.
As a senior in 1999-2000, she ranked fourth in the nation in scoring with 22.7 points per game and led all of Division II in total points with 703. She garnered all-Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference North Division first team honors, GLIAC Tournament Most Valuable Player and second team Daktronics all-America honors in addition to honorable mention women’s division II Bulletin all-American accolades.
Following her collegiate career, Palmer competed professionally in Europe for two years, playing for Lausanne Olympic in Switzerland (2002) and Basket Club Racing in Luxembourg (2003). Palmer also spent four years as a member of the four-time Women’s Eastern Basketball Alliance (WEBA) champion Harrisburg (Pa.) Horizon.
Palmer earned her bachelor’s degree in physical education/health from Northern Michigan University in 2001 and her master’s degree in organizational development and leadership from Shippensburg University in 2007.
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