Arizona head coach Becky Burke has created stability on her staff by hiring assistant coach James Ewing, who was on her staff at Buffalo. Ewing was on the Buffalo staff under Burke for the last two seasons. Before joining Burke's staff at Buffalo, Ewing spent one season on the St. Bonaventure staff.
Buffalo was 49-21 in two seasons with Ewing on staff. The Bulls lost in the first round of the 2024 WNIT before winning the tournament this season. Ewing is from Buffalo and played at Toledo from 2011 through 2013. Buffalo had seven more wins the first season Ewing was on staff and 11 in the second.
Ewing is the second assistant coach hired by Burke. Julie Brase-Hairgrove, the granddaughter of Lute Olson, was announced as an assistant coach on Burke's inaugural staff earlier this week. Arizona also hired college basketball legend Michelle Marciniak as the general manager on Thursday.
Point guard Noelani Cornfield is another addition from Buffalo through the transfer portal with one season of eligibility remaining. Arizona has also received commitments from transfer guards Kamryn Kitchen, Mickayla Perdue, and Tanyuel Welch to its 2025-26 roster.
Thankful‼️‼️ 🗣️🗣️IT’S TIME TO GRIND NOW‼️‼️ #Beardown🐻⬇️🅰️ https://t.co/QuTd0DiCIM
— Coach Ewing (@coachewing4) April 18, 2025
Ewing provides Burke with continuity on her staff to sell her culture and vision of what she wants for the Arizona basketball program. Brase-Hairgrove brings experience from playing four years in the Arizona basketball program in the early 2000s and as an assistant coach for 17 seasons with the Phoenix Mercury.
Burke, Brase-Hairgrove, Ewing and Marciniak have a lot of work to do to finish filling out the Arizona roster that has been decimated by the transfer portal. Kansas transfer forward Freddie Wallace is the first frontcourt player Arizona has added through the portal. Wallace joins returning 6'2 Arizona forward Montaya Dew.
Ewing worked with the frontcourt players at Buffalo. With his hiring on Friday, Ewing should have major input into the remaining Arizona additions in the frontcourt. Buffalo's frontcourt were role players in 2024-25, with the top four scorers for the Bulls listed as guards.