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Jun 18, 2012
Saint Augustine’s College has added three new assistant coaches to its athletic staff, the school announced Monday. They are men’s basketball assistant Raheem Waller, women’s basketball assistant Crishna Hill and softball assistant Bruce Cozart.
Waller comes to St. Aug after one season at the University of West Georgia, where he helped guide the Wolves to a Division II top 25 ranking and a NCAA Tournament berth. He also was an assistant coach at Georgia State University (2010-11), Florida A&M University (2009-10), Coastal Carolina University (2007-09), Savannah State University (2005-07) and Elizabeth City State University (2004-05).
Waller was a professional basketball player for three years. He played in the International Basketball League and the United States Basketball League as well as internationally in Portugal, Belgium, Switzerland and Saudi Arabia. He played collegiately at South Carolina State University, earning All-Conference and All-Tournament honors while leading the Bulldogs to NCAA Tournament appearances in 1996 and 1998. Waller, who was the team captain, graduated from South Carolina State with a bachelor’s degree in industrial technology in 1999, and he is currently working on his master’s degree in sports management. An Atlanta, Ga., native, Waller is married to the former Dominique Hemphill.
Waller will work primarily with the post players for Head Coach Lonnie Blow, Jr., who retained assistant coach Erasto Hatchett from the previous staff. Blow returned to St. Aug on April 2012 after a successful first run as Falcons’ men’s basketball coach from 2008 to 2010. During that stretch, the Falcons won the CIAA title, advanced to the NCAA Tournament and posted the best winning percentage for one season in recent memory.
Hill joins the Lady Falcons after spending last season at Stony Brook University as assistant coach and recruiting coordinator. At St. Aug, Hill will oversee the development of the guards and assist in defensive strategy in addition to serving as recruiting coordinator.
Hill was also assistant coach at the University at Buffalo (2008-11), Neumann College and St. Anthony’s Catholic High School. She also was a marketing development representative at Reebok. At Buffalo, Hill helped the Bulls advance to the postseason (Women’s Basketball Invitational) for the first time in school history. Hill also implemented an academic plan which significantly raised the overall team grade point average. As coach of the Buffalo guards, she played a key role in the development of one player who made the all-freshman team.
Hill played in the Women’s Eastern Basketball Alliance semi-pro league for two years. A second-team All-WEBA player, Hill sparked the Harrisburg Lady Horizon to the WEBA title in the 2006-07 season. In college, Hill helped the University of South Carolina reach the Elite Eight in the 2001-02 season. She earned a bachelor degree in marketing and management at South Carolina in 2002. She made the Dean’s List twice and was an academic All-American at her alma mater. Hill is a native of Greenville, S.C.
Cozart enters the college coaching ranks after four years at Southern Durham High School as head softball coach and women’s basketball assistant. During his tenure as softball coach, Cozart directed Southern Durham to the state tournament for the first time in 20 years. He coached 15 All-Conference players, one All-District player and one All-State standout. Five players went on to play collegiately. He also coached AAU basketball the past two seasons, leading the Carolina Hornets 16U girls team in the 2010-11 season and starting the RDU Team Triple Threat 17U girls and 16U boys squads in the 2011-12 season.
A Creedmoor, N.C., native, Cozart has 23 years of experience as a player, head coach and assistant coach on the college, high school and middle school levels in Guilford County and Durham County including a stint at Jackson Middle School in Greensboro, N.C., as teacher and head boys basketball and boys volleyball coach. He played baseball at North Carolina A&T State University from 1988 to 1992, and he graduated from his alma mater with a bachelor’s degree in history education in 1994. At St. Aug, Cozart will oversee the areas of pitching and catching for the Lady Falcons.
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