Head Coach Yolanda Moore came to Southeastern after successfully coaching the LSU Eunice women’s basketball team to their first conference championship in school history in 2014.
Courtesy of Sports Information
Head women’s basketball Coach Yolanda Moore is about to complete her second season of coaching the team. Moore is also a motivational speaker and wrote a book entitled “You Will Win If You Don’t Quit”. Before coming to Southeastern she coached the LSU Eunice women’s basketball team to their first conference championship. Before coaching, Moore was a women’s basketball analyst for Fox Sports South in 2005 and for the Memphis Grizzlies in 2007. She had a very successful playing career finishing as a three-time All-Southeastern Conference post player at Ole Miss and was inducted into the Sports Ole Miss hall of fame. Moore also won two WNBA championships in the inaugural years of the WNBA.
The Lion’s Roar: How have you felt about the team this season?
Yolanda Moore: I am pleased with the effort our team has shown all season long. We had a very grueling non-conference schedule, and we took some big losses early. I am proud that our team never lost their hunger or desire to come out and compete every night.
TLR: Can you describe your passion for the game of basketball?
YM: My passion for the game of basketball is indescribable. Basketball has been a huge part of my life since I was eight years old, and it has afforded me opportunities that I would not have otherwise had. I am grateful for all of the lessons I’ve learned along the way and the skills and abilities that I have been able to transfer into other areas of my life.
TLR: When did you start playing basketball?
YM: I started playing basketball when I was in third grade.
TLR: What was it like playing in the Women’s National Basketball Association in its early years?
YM: The WNBA in its early years was phenomenal and being part of the history of the WNBA is something that I will always treasure. Winning the first ever championship in the WNBA was so meaningful for me because of all of the obstacles I had to overcome to reach that point in my life and in my career.
TLR: When did you realize you wanted to start coaching?
YM: I’ve always known I wanted to coach. I always wanted to give back to the game of basketball as much as it had given me. For me, the best way to do that was to help other young ladies who, like myself, love the sport and wanted to be the very best at it.
TLR: Why did you decide to coach at Southeastern?
YM: I decided to coach at Southeastern because of the potential I saw in the program. The community connectedness to the university and the commitment to academic excellence among its student-athletes is one of the reasons I chose to coach here.
TLR: Was it difficult to leave LSU Eunice after having success there?
YM: It’s always tough to leave players you have created a bond with. Coach Jeff Willis, the athletic director at LSUE, saw my potential as a coach and gave me an opportunity, and I will forever be grateful to him for that. I appreciate my time in Eunice albeit brief. It was difficult to leave the players because of what we had accomplished together in such a short time and giving the school its first ever conference championship in women’s basketball is something that I will always cherish.
TLR: What is life like away from basketball with your family?
YM: Basketball takes up a lot of my time. I have four children. My oldest is grown, my middle daughter is a freshman at ULL and the twins are in the second grade. I don’t see the others much, but the twins are with me pretty much all the time at practice and at games. My life is pretty busy, and I don’t get much “free time” away from basketball. Even when I am home, I am doing something basketball related, even if it’s just watching film. I try to do as much as I can when we do get a rare day off.
TLR: Do you get to write or do any motivational speaking now?
YM: I am working on my second book, and I have been booked for a couple of speaking engagements but it is tough to do that during the season and even during the offseason. I love sharing my story to empower others so I do it as often as I can.
TLR: What was it like working as an analyst for radio and television?
YM: That was fun and I hope to get back into it at some point. You get to see just how fast the game is being played. You don’t realize it while you are playing or coaching but as an analyst, you get to see all perspectives of the game.
TLR: How do you think your team will fair in these next few games?
YM: Even though we won’t make the tournament, I expect our team to come out and compete for our final two games of the season.
Head Coach Yolanda Moore came to Southeastern after successfully coaching the LSU Eunice women’s basketball team to their first conference championship in school history in 2014.
Courtesy of Sports Information