Apr. 18—A month ago, Brittany Batts was climbing a ladder to cut down a net.
It was beginning to become a familiar feeling for the Gannon (Pennsylvania) women’s basketball program, with back-to-back NCAA Division II Elite Eight appearances during a highly-successful stretch with Batts, a former player there, as an assistant coach.
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Now, she hopes to do the same here. Batts was introduced Thursday as the new head women’s basketball coach at USC Aiken, becoming the eighth head coach in program history.
“Moments like those all started with a vision long before the season began, built on strong relationships, discipline, hard work and joy for the game — a vision I am creating for USC Aiken, as well,” she said.
Batts, the 2023-24 WBCA Division II Assistant Coach of the Year, takes over at USCA following the resignation of Mark Miller, who guided the Pacers to a record of 92-142 in nine seasons. The Pacers reached the NCAA Tournament in 2023, but injuries and inconsistency plagued the program during the last two seasons.
For Batts, a prolific 3-point shooter during her playing days at Gannon from 2011-15, this wasn’t just about landing her first head coaching job. It was about finding the right opportunity, and she feels that USCA definitely provided that.
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“I know USC Aiken because they’ve been really good in the past. They’ve been to the NCAA Tournament before. They’ve won games in the NCAA Tournament before, and I want to take us even further than that,” she said. “I think the location is great. The people here are great. Who I surround myself with is extremely important to me, and when I came on my interview there was no doubt in my mind that I could see myself being here. With the resources they’re giving women’s basketball, the way they’re investing in women’s basketball here at USC Aiken is unbelievable and somewhere I think I can be really successful.”
Gannon went to the NCAA Tournament all four seasons she was on staff, posting a record of 116-22 with those two Elite Eight appearances. Prior to that, she was an assistant at Division I Chicago State, and before that she helped lead a turnaround at Shepherd, preceded by a stint at Bridgewater College. She served as a graduate assistant at Castleton University after her playing days at Gannon.
In all, she’s been a part of a lot of wins. Now she’ll look to do more of the same at USCA.
“I think everything starts with relationships. When people know you care for them, they’re going to do that much more for you,” she said. “Relationships come first. If we’re responsible for our actions, we’re disciplined with how we put in our work, if we work as hard as we can every single day, I think the results will come. We’ll see the results in the classroom, in the community, on the court. Everything starts with relationships.”
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She was introduced Thursday by director of athletics Todd Wilkinson, who pointed out that Batts knows what a great team looks like — she’s played and coached in the Elite Eight, and he said USCA raised its standard of excellence by hiring her.
“I’m really excited. We have everything we need to have a very fine women’s basketball program,” he told the crowd of fans and returning players. “I want to go to the national tournament as the AD, so come on! No pressure. Come on. I want to go to the national tournament. She’s seen what it looks like, and she’s going to do great work in driving us forward and striving for that goal.”
Batts said she’s been able to meet with current teams members for one-on-one meetings, getting to know them and letting them know what she’s about in order to make sure they still feel like USCA is the right fit. So far, so good. They got on the court Wednesday night so she could see them play, giving her an idea of how to find the right pieces to put around them.
“I’m going to bring a different style of play,” she said. “I love to push the ball in transition, and then if we don’t have anything we’re going to pound the ball inside, get it to our post players. I love shooters on the perimeter, knock down the open 3. We get out there defensively, defend 94 feet. Make it so the other team is dribbling into a wall any time they try to put the ball on the floor.”
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She said their excitement was evident, and that they were still smiling and thanking her after pushing them out of their comfort zones — that’s how they can go to new places.
The work starts now for Batts and the Pacers. November’s season opener is a long ways away, and there’s plenty to get done in the next seven months. Batts has seen what it takes to build an elite Division II program, and now USCA’s is hers to mold.
“That starts with recruiting,” she said. “Working with our current players and some of our incoming freshmen, just making sure the message is clear, they know my vision for this program. I think, we’re given the right resources, the community supports us, the department, the university, everyone supports us, and making them believe it. You’ve got to believe it before you do it, so just visualization. Visualizing it, and ultimately you’ve got to put in the work. If you want to become better, you’ve got to put in the actions to get better and then go from there.”
