TOWSON, Md. — Towson University women's basketball head coach Laura Harper has named Ashley Morris as the team's second assistant coach.  

Morris comes to Towson from Mississippi State where she served as the women's basketball Director of Operations for two seasons under head coach Nikki McCray-Penson.

"Ashley is a steal for our program," said Harper. "Her selfless desire to connect and serve student athletes is unmatched. Playing under the legendary Coach Dawn Staley and having a successful professional career has helped prepare her for this moment. Her professionalism and attention to detail will catapult her career. We are lucky to have landed Ashley."  

With the Bulldogs, Morris was responsible for all aspects of team travel, overseeing student manager staff, coordinating practices, assisting with both scouting reports, and recruiting efforts.  

Prior to her time in Starkville, Morris was the Director of Basketball Operations at Old Dominion for three seasons. Before that, she was also the head coach of her high school alma mater Central High School in Philadelphia for five seasons, where she led the team to three Class 6A championships. She was named the Public League Gold Division Coach of the Year in 2011-2012 and was also selected to coach the Philadelphia's Girl's All Public Team in 2013-14. 

During her own collegiate career, Morris played for NCAA Champion head coach Dawn Staley at Temple from 2004-08. She was an All-Atlantic 10 and Big Five selection during her senior season after averaging 15.3 points and 4.3 assists. She ended her career with the third-most assists in program history. 

After Temple, Morris played professionally overseas for two seasons in Italy and France. She graduated from Temple in 2008 with a degree in Management Information Systems. 

"Joining Coach Harp along this journey directly aligns with my values as a human," Morris said. "Her commitment to developing young women holistically is displayed in the detailed oriented work she puts forth daily. We are just two kids from Philly that used basketball as a tool to shift our lives and change the trajectory of the lives of the youth that we encounter.  I'm excited about being part of this ecosystem at Towson and truly thankful that I get to do it with this staff."