LILBURN, Ga. - Illinois Wesleyan University women's basketball assistant coach Brian Ehresman was recognized as part of the Women's Basketball Coaches Association 30 Under 30 Class Thursday, March 28. Ehresman is one of six Division III coaches on the 31-person list.

The WBCA Thirty Under 30 program was created to recognize 30 up-and-coming women's basketball coaches aged 30 and under at all levels of the game. Each honoree has exemplified their involvement in community service, mentorship and impact on others, professional manner, and attitude and professional association involvement. A total of 31 coaches received the honor this year due to a tie in the selection process. This is the ninth year of the WBCA Thirty Under 30 program. To see a year-by-year list of past honorees, visit WBCA.org.

"Congratulations to these 31 coaches who have distinguished themselves so early in their careers," said WBCA Executive Director Danielle Donehew. "The WBCA is pleased to recognize this up-and-coming talent in our coaching family. We celebrate their effort on the basketball court as teachers and equally applaud the extensive role they play in impacting the lives of their student-athletes."

Coming off his third season as an assistant coach on Smith's staff, Ehresman has been part of two NCAA Tournament appearances, a College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Co-Regular Season Championship, and two CCIW Tournament titles with the Titans. He has mentored eight all-conference selections and  multiple all-region honorees. The Gridley, Ill. native has also been critical in the development of WBCA All-America Honorable Mention honoree Lauren Huber.

Off the court, Ehresman has been relentless on the recruiting trail, where has helped bring in strong classes in each of his seasons on staff. This past year, sophomore Ava Bardic reeled in Second Team All-CCIW accolades after transferring to IWU from NCAA Division II University of Illinois-Springfield, while the sophomore trio of Sara Balli, Laura Mahlum, and Sawyer White played significant minutes for the Titans in 2023-24. Additionally, White broke the school's all-time single season steals record, previously held by Ehresman's sister, Rebekah.

30 Under 30 Recipients

Name	Title	Institution
Jenna Andersen	Assistant Coach	Marietta College
Dyandria Anderson	Assistant Coach	Univ. of N. Carolina-Asheville
Patrick Bain	Assistant Coach	Wright State University
Halie Bergman	Assistant Coach	University of Nevada
Alex Berman	Assistant Coach	Emory University
Haley Blankinship	Assistant Coach	Texas A&M International Univ.
KaeLynn Boyd	Assistant Coach	University of Texas at Arlington
Shelby Boyle	Assistant Coach	Boston College
Erika Brown	Assistant Coach	Fairfield University
Paige Corkins	Assistant Coach	College of the Holy Cross
Symone Denham	Assistant Coach	Bradley University
Sadie Edwards	Assistant Coach	Baylor University
Brian Ehresman	Assistant Coach	Illinois Wesleyan University
Max Ethridge	Assistant Coach	Maryville University - St. Louis
Ashton Feldhaus	Associate Head Coach	Eckerd College
Haley Froelich	Assistant Coach	Clarke University
Erin Hughes	Assistant Coach	Washington & Lee University
Abby Kelly	Assistant Coach	Bowdoin College
Erica McCall	Assistant Coach	Stanford University
Brittney McNamara	Head Coach	Midview High School
Kabrina Merriweather	Assistant Coach	University of Cincinnati
Meredith Mesaris	Head Coach	Vassar College
Ashton Millender	Assistant Coach	DePaul University
Jillian Miller	Assistant Coach	Ave Maria University
John Montello	Assistant Coach	Indiana Purdue U.-Indianapolis
Harry Rafferty	Assistant Coach	University of Michigan
Janelle Silver-Martin	Assistant Coach	Morgan State University
Erin Sinnott	Assistant Coach	University at Buffalo
Sadie Thramer	Assistant Coach	South Dakota State University
Alexis Uffmann	Assistant Coach	Valdosta State University
Shelby Zoeckler	Assistant Coach	Cleveland State University

 
 
About the WBCA
The Women's Basketball Coaches Association is the professional association for coaches of women's and girls' basketball at all levels of competition. Founded in 1981, the WBCA offers educational resources that coaches need to help make themselves better leaders, teachers and mentors to their players; provides opportunities for coaches to connect with peers in the profession; serves as the unifying voice of a diverse community of coaches to the organizations that control the game; and celebrates those coaches, players and other individuals who excel each year and contribute to the advancement of the sport. Visit WBCA.org for more details about the association.