WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue Women's Basketball head coach Katie Gearlds announced staff adjustments ahead of her first season in 2021-22. Director of video operations and player development Alex Guyton will serve as an assistant coach to fill the vacancy left by Gearlds.
Administrative assistant Christine Benner will take on the day-to-day operations duties of the program for the upcoming campaign. Graduate assistants Karmell Brown and Jaelen Nice will coordinate filming, film exchange and assist with undergraduate managers and male practice players.
ALEX GUYTON
Guyton has spent the last two seasons on staff as the director of video and player development. In her role, she assisted the coaching staff with film break down, analyzing scouting reports and mentoring to players.
The 2012 Purdue graduate returned to West Lafayette after two seasons at Eastern Illinois as a combo assistant coach, video coordinator and director of operations. She jumped into the collegiate ranks following four seasons in high school coaching at Carmel and Warren Central.
She spent the 2012 season playing professionally in Germany with Tus Bad Abiling.
During her career in West Lafayette, Guyton played 124 games, averaging 4.5 points and 13.4 minutes per game. The Boilermakers reached the NCAA Tournament three times and captured a trio of Big Ten Tournament titles.
CHRISTINE BENNER
Benner takes on more duties in her position for the 2021-22 season, after serving as the program's administrative assistant for the last four seasons.
She originally started at Purdue in 2012 in the College of Engineering. A native of Portland, Maine, Benner attended Providence College. Her daughter Kate is a member of the Purdue Dance Team, and her son Luke is a senior soccer player at McCutcheon High School.
KARMELL BROWN
Brown enters her first full season as a graduate assistant. She volunteered during the 2020-21 season.
Currently pursuing an MBA at Purdue, Brown previously served as an assistant coach at Franklin & Marshall College and Dennison University, where she claimed an NCAC title in 2019.
Brown graduated from Earlham in 2013 with a degree in business & non-profit management as a four-year letterwinner.
JAELEN NICE
After three seasons as a practice player with Purdue women's basketball, Nice joined the staff as a graduate assistant ahead of the 2021-22 season.
A 2021 graduate from Purdue, Nice earned a degree in biochemistry. Nice was a four-year letterwinner at Salem High School in tennis and basketball.