IRVINE, Calif. – With a new season and a new schedule on the horizon for the Concordia University Irvine women's basketball team, a new assistant coach has joined the team this September to help guide the Golden Eagles with head coach Christine Collins-Kiernan.

Naomi Hunt comes to Concordia after playing at nearby Long Beach State and UC Irvine. She recently completed her master's degree after playing for the Anteaters. 

She was a versatile player on the floor and proved that by playing shooting guard at times while also guarding the tallest players on the court or even contributing more on the wing as a Stretch-4 depending on the situation.

"I feel like my basketball IQ has grown a lot over the last six years playing in college along with in-game adaptations and scouting," explained Hunt. "I was a very detailed player, always thinking about like what angle to take if you are in the corner or on defense, or in certain positions, are we in the right spot, asking those types of questions.

"I look at those little details because I feel like they can make a big difference."

Once her playing days came to a close, she explored the idea of coaching to stay connected to the game and continue to make an impact in the sport she enjoys so much.

"Effort, attitude and communication are three of the non-negotiables," added Hunt. "I always value when coaches and players care about each other and love each other. I also love competition and have a willingness to learn. Players who have a willingness to learn also become great floor generals and can help their teammates in multiple ways as well."

"When it was time for me to fill this position I was focused on a few things: finding a person who was a good human, had great basketball IQ, possessed a very good growth mindset and was hungry to learn," explained CUI head coach Christine Collins-Kiernan. "Naomi checked all those boxes while also bringing with her a joyful personality and a great blueprint of how to be successful at the college level.  I know this will be a great experience not only for our student-athletes but for her as well."

Hunt grew up in West Covina and later moved to Fullerton for high school while also spending time in the Norwalk area. She looks forward to helping the Golden Eagles soar both on the court and in the classroom as they grow as people during their time at Concordia.

"The age gap between me isn't too far as a recent graduate, so I feel like my relatability, both basketball-wise or off-the-court can be a huge asset."

"I feel like (the student-athlete experience) is very important," she continued. "That's what got me through my undergrad years – the team and the environment, and being close to friends on other teams as well on the volleyball and track teams for example."

CLICK HERE to welcome Coach Naomi on Instagram!

Concordia will host a four-team tournament Thanksgiving weekend for its first two home games this coming season. The Golden Eagles will face Simon Fraser and Northwest Nazarene with Point Loma also participating in the two-day event that begins on Friday, Nov. 24 on campus.  Concordia's home opener is at 1 p.m. that Friday against Simon Fraser.

CLICK HERE for the upcoming 2023-24 CUI women's basketball schedule