Appalachian State University women’s basketball head coach Angel Elderkin has agreed to a four-year contract extension that runs through 2023, director of athletics Doug Gillin announced Monday. The extension was recently approved by Chancellor Sheri Everts and the Appalachian State Board of Trustees.
“I want to thank the Board of Trustees, Chancellor Everts and Doug Gillin for their confidence in me and our program,” Elderkin said. “It’s truly an honor to be the head women’s basketball coach at Appalachian State. I’m excited about the future of this University and the team. This is a reflection of the commitment and hard work from an incredible group of student-athletes as well as the most dedicated coaching staff a head coach could ever hope for.”
Elderkin, who just finished her fifth season in the High Country, led the Mountaineers to their most successful season in recent history with a 22-win season. Appalachian is fresh off its second WBI championship after defeating North Texas 76-59 on Wednesday in front of a Holmes Center record 1,823 fans, setting the mark for a women’s basketball home game. The 17-point triumph was the largest margin of victory for a WBI champion.
“We are very excited to have Angel continue to lead our women’s basketball program,” Gillin said. “Under Angel’s leadership, our student-athletes are excelling in the classroom, in the community and on the court. The energy and enthusiasm for our women’s basketball program has continued to grow during Angel’s time at Appalachian. The future is incredibly bright, as we witnessed with the WBI Championship.”
The Mountaineers reeled off a 10-2 stretch over their last 12 games of the season en route to their 22-14 mark. The 22 victories are the program’s most wins since the 2011-12 campaign and the seventh-best win total in a season. Elderkin also led the Black and Gold to one of the top turnarounds in the nation. On top of the 14-win improvement tying a program mark for the largest turnaround in school history, the Apps’ jump from eight wins in 2017-18 to 22 victories this season was the fifth-best resurgence in the nation.
Elderkin’s squad was dominant on its home floor with a 14-3 record, which is the best mark at home in program history.
In Sun Belt play, App State registered 10 league wins for its highest total since joining the league. The Mountaineers’ fifth-place standing was also their best finish in Sun Belt action. App State put forth its deepest run in the Sun Belt Tournament with a pair of victories over Coastal Carolina in the first round and Georgia State in the quarterfinals.
Elderkin and the Mountaineers have been a staple in the community as well, working on such projects as Habitat for Humanity and the High Country Breast Cancer Foundation. While raising awareness and funds for breast cancer research, Appalachian finished sixth in the country and first in the Sun Belt in the Play4Kay Free Throw Challenge during February by raising $3,234.
The Mountaineers return a loaded squad with 14 of 16 players back next season, including starters Lainey Gosnell, Pre Stanley, Ashley Polacek and Bayley Plummer.
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