WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue women’s basketball head coach Katie Gearlds welcomed Emily Ben-Jumbo to the staff this week, joining the program as an Assistant Coach / Recruiting Strategy. In addition to on-court oversight, Ben-Jumbo will play a major role in identifying and bringing in talent through the transfer portal and the high school ranks, bringing an exciting energy to welcome in the next generation of Boilermakers.
“We’re pumped to welcome Emily to our Boilermaker family,” Gearlds said. “Emily has a high motor and a passion for developing student-athletes on an off the court. Her energy and ability to connect with our players will help make us better every day.”
Ben-Jumbo arrives in West Lafayette after spending the 2025-26 campaign as an assistant coach at Xavier.
Prior to her time in Cincinnati, Ben-Jumbo served on current associate head coach April Phillips’ staff at San Jose State for three seasons, starting as an assistant coach and director of recruiting for two seasons, before being promoted to associate head coach in 2024-25.
While at San Jose State, Ben-Jumbo mentored four All-Mountain West honorees, including three All-Freshman Team selections. Ben-Jumbo also helped the Spartans pick up their first Mountain West Tournament victory in more than five seasons and knock off a Big East opponent in program history.
Ben-Jumbo was an assistant coach at her alma mater Loyola Marymount in 2019-20 and 2020-21 and was the program's Director of Operations in 2018-19.
During her coaching tenure at LMU, she helped the Lions to their first postseason appearance in 14 years when the team played in the 2019 WNIT. In 2021, she mentored one Lion to all-conference honors, while another received WCC All-Tournament honors, the school's first since 2013.
The Tualatin, Ore., native played professionally for the following teams: Club Cicliista Olimpico in Argentina (2018), Santa Ursula Basketball Club in Peru (2017), BBC Grengewald Hueschtert in Luxumbourg (2016) and Durham University in England (2015).
She played collegiately at Loyola Marymount from 2011-15. The three-time team captain earned All-West Coast Conference honors during her senior season after averaging 11.4 points and 5.7 rebounds per game.