May 5, 1998
LAS VEGAS - UNLV head women's basketball coach Regina Miller has announced the hiring of her staff for the 1998-99 season.
Lisa Rathbun from Cleveland State, Michael Ensley from Louisiana Tech and Staci Shulz from Western Illinois have been named assistant coaches and former Lady Rebel assistant coach Carrie Daniels will assume director of basketball operations duties.
Rathbun, who was a player at Brigham Young from 1988-92, was the recruiting coordinator as an assistant coach at Cleveland State for the past three years. She recruited honorable mention All-American classes rated by Blue Star Index Scouting Service and a top-100 player.
At UNLV, her duties will include recruiting, assisting in the scouting, coaching the post position players and acting as liaison to the academic advisor.
Prior to Cleveland State, Rathbun was the recruiting coordinator as an assistant coach at the University of Buffalo for one year. After earning All-WAC honors her senior year at BYU, she became the restricted earnings coach from 1992-94. While with the Cougars she helped lead BYU to the Western Athletic Conference title in 1993 and an NCAA Tournament berth.
"Lisa is a great addition to the staff, most notably with her recruiting experience," Miller said. "She has an outstanding reputation among her fellow colleagues and with AAU and high school coaches throughout the country. With her experience as a player in the WAC, she also brings a familiarity of the style of play in the conference."
Rathbun, received her bachelor's degree from BYU in 1993 in sociology with a minor in spanish/secondary education.
Ensley, who was an assistant coach at Louisiana Tech for the past two seasons, helped lead the Lady Techsters to a 1997 Sweet Sixteen appearance and the 1998 Final Four Championship Game. At UNLV, his responsibilities will include coordinating the scouting, recruiting, coaching the perimeter position players and acting as the liaison to the strength and conditioning coach.
Ensley, who coached the past two Sunbelt Conference MVP's in Alissa Burras and Amanda Wilson, was responsible for strength and conditioning, recruiting, floor coaching, scouting and reviewing film while at Louisiana Tech.
Prior to joining the Lady Techsters, Ensley was a head coach at the prep school and small college levels, highlighted by winning three conference titles in five years at Paul Quinn College in Dallas, Texas. He started his coaching career at his alma mater Grambling State as a baseball assistant and head softball coach.
"Michael, like myself, brings experience in the Final Four as a coach," said Miller. "The program he comes from at Louisiana Tech is second to none. The experience he gained while working with one of the pioneers in women's basketball in Leon Barmore will help us to accomplish our goal of bringing the Lady Rebel program back to national prominence and success."
Ensley, received his bachelor's degree in business administration with a marketing major in 1980 and earned his master's in sports administration in 1984 at Grambling State. He and his wife Cheyrl have two sons, John, 15, and Andrew, 6.
"Both Lisa and Michael are great recruiters and have excellent contacts throughout the nation, from California to New York and everywhere in between," Miller said.
Shulz, who spent last season as an assistant coach under Miller at Western Illinois, will assume similar responsibilities at UNLV.
Shulz was a player at Mount Marty College in Yankton, S.D., from 1991-96 and graduated from the school in 1996 with a degree in health and physical education.
Daniels, who came to UNLV in 1996 as an assistant coach, has been retained by Miller, and moved to the director of basketball operations position.
