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SALT LAKE CITY - A few months after her ‘year's leave of absence' was over, former University of Utah women's basketball Head Coach Elaine Elliot has joined the coaching staff of the Westminster College women's basketball team under the direction of Head Coach Shelley Jarrard.
On March 31, 2010, Elliot announced at a press conference that she would be taking a year's leave of absence while she considered retiring from coaching while assistant coach, at the time, Anthony Levrets would serve as the interim coach.
On March 23, 2011, Levrets was hired as the head coach of the Utes women's basketball team as Elliot had made her decision to retire.
Elliot was with the University of Utah for a total of 31 years, four as an assistant and the last 27 as the head coach and racked up quite the list of accomplishments during her time there finishing her career with a record of 582-234.
Elliot had 15 NCAA Tournament appearances, made it to the Elite Eight in 2006, had two Sweet 16 appearances (2001 and 2006), had over 500 careers wins, 19 postseason appearances, 15 Conference Championships, 26 winning season, four players drafted by the WNBA (Kim Smith, Shona Thornburn, Leilani Mitchell, Morgan Warburton), 17 players with All-America honors and won more games than any other school in the Mountain West Conference during her time with the Utes.
And the list keeps going.
Elliot was awarded the John and Nellie Wooden National Coach of the Year award in 2001, WBCA District Coach of the year five years (1998, 200, 2001, 2008, 2009), MWC Coach of the Year four years (200, 2001, 2003, 2008), Western Athletic Conference Division Coach of the year three years (1997, 1998, 1999), and HCAC Coach of the Year two years (1986, 1989).
Elliot and Jarrard's history goes back to 1993 when Jarrard began serving as an assistant coach to Elliot at Utah until 2004, during which time the lady Utes made seven appearances in the NCAA Tournament including their first ever appearance in the Sweet 16.
