Ezell Completes Staff for First Year at the Helm of Belmont's Women's Basketball Program
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- New Belmont women's basketball head coach Brittney Ezell has selected Marvis Hodges, Jonathan Davis, and Carley Peterson to join her on the sidelines in her first year at the helm of the program.
"I am thrilled to finally have our staff in place and I am excited for them to begin work at Belmont University. Collectively, they are eager to begin recruiting and working to help our program reach the highest levels of achievement academically, athletically and in the Nashville community," Ezell said.
Marvis Hodges comes to the Bruins after spending two years under Ezell at the University of Montevallo. He began his coaching career with Ezell as her assistant at Okaloosa Walton Community College in Niceville, Fla. During his three years at OWCC, he was assisted with recruiting and scouting, monitoring the pre-season strength and conditioning program, coordinating the film exchange and team basketball camps. He also helped coordinate the team academic study hall, where the team was the recipient of the NJCAA Academic Top 25 Award in 2007.
"Outside of my immediate family, Marvis was the first call I made after the offer came from Belmont for me to become the new head coach. I could not imagine coaching anywhere without him," Ezell said. "He has been my assistant for seven years and in this business, finding loyal assistant coaches is a rarity. His passion for the game, his love for teaching and his daily desire to better our players will allow him to have an immediate impact on our program and the University. I am thankful that he has chosen to be an assistant coach with me and for Belmont."
Jonathan Davis enters his third year as an assistant coach with the program and his first under Ezell in 2010. He joined the women's basketball program following an extended stint with Belmont's men's basketball program as an undergraduate, postgraduate, and volunteer assistant. He served six seasons in a variety of operations-related capacities for the Bruins - including three consecutive seasons in which the team won the Atlantic Sun conference tournament and earned a berth in the NCAA tournament.
"Jonathan is a perfect fit for our new staff. His knowledge of Belmont and of the workings of both the women's and men's basketball programs is invaluable. He is meticulously organized, extremely sharp and a strong representative of the University," Ezell said. "He, like Coach Peterson and Coach Hodges, has an intense desire to see this program succeed and to better himself daily in the coaching profession. Coach Davis is well received all over campus and I am pleased that we were able to have him join our staff."
Carley Peterson joins the Bruins after completing a two-year graduate assistantship at Valdosta State. A former student-athlete at VSU, Peterson received numerous honors during her collegiate career, including becoming the first Lady Blazer since 2001 to be named a Kodak/State Farm WBCA Honorable Mention All-American. She also recorded 1,000 career points and was a two-time First Team All-Gulf South Conference selection.
"Carley is a fantastic, young coaching find for our program. She is a winner in every facet of the word. Her enthusiasm, her passion for the profession and her eagerness to learn will translate well to her new position at Belmont," said Ezell. "She was an outstanding player and graduate assistant coach for a top level program at Valdosta State University under Coach Kiley Hill. I have faith that Carley will make an immediate impact with the Bruin family and I am grateful that she has chosen to begin her coaching career with us."
"Coaches Hodges, Davis and Peterson all bring very unique skill sets and backgrounds to the program but yet their rapport as a group is a wonderful dynamic of collaboration, cooperation and service to the program and the University," Ezell said. "I am grateful that they have all chosen to be a part of the program and I am looking forward to seeing them direct their youthful energies toward moving Belmont Women's Basketball in a championship direction."
