HELENA — Currently ranked No. 19 in the NAIA, Carroll College’s women’s basketball team is chasing its sixth Frontier Conference title in eight seasons.
And behind the team's success is a coaching staff made up entirely of former college basketball players.
“Well, I think it's really helpful to have assistant coaches that have been around the game, that have been in the grind,” Carroll head coach Rachelle Sayers said on how she approaches building her staff. “They understand the travel. They understand what it takes to be successful at this level.
"And they can relate to the players. And they can share some of the things that really helped them when they were maybe struggling or maybe helped them to become a successful basketball player.”
While Sayers, an Absarokee native, played her college ball at NCAA Division I Weber State, many of Sayers’ assistants played their college ball at Carroll under Sayers. It’s a list that includes Hannah Dean, who was named a first-team All-American as a senior under Sayers in 2019.
“I absolutely believe that going through the program, knowing the X's and O's, just being a student-athlete, you really know how hard it can be,” said Dean, who played at Carroll from 2015-19 after a standout high school basketball and volleyball career at Gardiner. “You know what it takes on and off the court. And being able to help the younger kids and the new kids through that, it gives a little more meaning, I think. And I remember the long hours that I spent here, lot of time in the gymnasium, lot of time in the classroom. And so just being that support system for them is really special.”
Carroll’s senior point guard Addi Ekstrom agreed that the Saints’ coaches having playing experience benefits all involved.
“Yeah, 100%. They know what it’s like to be a college athlete,” Ekstrom said of her coaches. “And they know the pressure and the expectations, and so I think it definitely helps them to sympathize with us. And (it) helps us, and (it) helps them become better coaches.”
Ekstrom said her coaches don’t just understand student-athlete life, they’re also what makes the Carroll women’s basketball program so special.
“Both of them (Sayers and Dean) are just amazing,” said Ekstrom. “Hannah is super empathetic. She is always there, always in the gym ready for us to ask for extra shots. She’s always meeting with people trying to get us better, putting in her own time. ... I can’t imagine a time when she’s not at the gym. So, she’s been amazing for us.
"And then coach Sayers, obviously, is the heart and soul of this team. She keeps us going and feeds us meals and does whatever’s necessary to bring this team together. And it’s just been a great duo between the two.”
The Carroll coaching staff also includes J.D. Solomon, a former NAIA first-team All-American on the men's team, and Jaidyn Lyman, who played under Sayers from 2017-22.
