Marquette WBB Adds Kayla Kleifgen as Assistant Coach
7/12/2023 10:20:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Kleifgen joins MU after seven seasons at Northern Kentucky
MILWAUKEE – The Marquette University women's basketball team and head coach Megan Duffy announced the hiring of Kayla Kleifgen as an assistant coach Wednesday.
"We are thrilled to welcome Kayla Kleifgen to our Marquette family. Kayla will immediately bring passion and enthusiasm to our program," Duffy said. "Her experience building and impacting programs will be a huge asset. I really look forward to watching Kayla build relationships with current and future Golden Eagles through her work ethic, great basketball knowledge and genuine nature."
Kleifgen joins the Marquette staff after spending the past seven seasons at Northern Kentucky. At MU, her primary duties will be recruiting, player development of guards and scouting.
She spent six seasons as the recruiting coordinator at Northern Kentucky and was recently promoted to associate head coach. At NKU, her responsibilities included scouting, player development and on-court duties. Additionally, she served as the program's academic liaison and ran the program's elite and team camps.
While at Northern Kentucky, Kelifgen helped lead the Norse to their first-ever 20-win season at the Division I level in 2019-20. In 2021-22, she assisted the team en route to a 21-8 record, the program's best Division I record.
Kelifgen recruited and helped coach several Norse players who went on to earn all-conference honors, including Lindsey Duvall, who was named Horizon League First Team in 2023. Duvall earned Horizon League Second Team honors in 2021 and 2022.
With deep recruiting ties in the Midwest, Kelifgen helped bring forward Grayson Rose to Northern Kentucky from Garrettsville, Ohio. Rose earned Horizion League All-Defensive honors in 2021 and became the first player in program history to be named Horizion League Defensive Player of the Year in 2022.
As the team's academic liaison, Kelifgen helped guide the team to several academic accolades. Forward Kailey Coffey was a three-time CoSIDA Academic All-District Team selection, becoming the first to receive the honor in program history. She was also a Horizon League All-Academic Team selection from 2019-2021.
Prior to NKU, Kelifgen spent one year at Kentucky as the team's staff support associate. She assisted the Wildcat staff with daily operations in the office and assisted with basketball camps at Kentucky, Lipscomb and The Next Level Basketball Camp.
As a player, Kleifgen was a four-year player at Eckerd College. She tied Eckerd's career mark by appearing in 110 games. She ranks second on the Tritons' all-time list in assists (406), sixth in made free throws (267), 12th in free-throw percentage (.740), 14th in made three-pointers (67), 15th in three-point percentage (.310), 16th in steals (118) and 18th in points (765). She helped lead the Tritons to their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance in 2015 and left Eckerd as only the third player in program history to finish with over 700 points and 400 assists.
Kelifgen graduated from Eckerd with a degree in biology in 2015.
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"We are thrilled to welcome Kayla Kleifgen to our Marquette family. Kayla will immediately bring passion and enthusiasm to our program," Duffy said. "Her experience building and impacting programs will be a huge asset. I really look forward to watching Kayla build relationships with current and future Golden Eagles through her work ethic, great basketball knowledge and genuine nature."
Kleifgen joins the Marquette staff after spending the past seven seasons at Northern Kentucky. At MU, her primary duties will be recruiting, player development of guards and scouting.
She spent six seasons as the recruiting coordinator at Northern Kentucky and was recently promoted to associate head coach. At NKU, her responsibilities included scouting, player development and on-court duties. Additionally, she served as the program's academic liaison and ran the program's elite and team camps.
While at Northern Kentucky, Kelifgen helped lead the Norse to their first-ever 20-win season at the Division I level in 2019-20. In 2021-22, she assisted the team en route to a 21-8 record, the program's best Division I record.
Kelifgen recruited and helped coach several Norse players who went on to earn all-conference honors, including Lindsey Duvall, who was named Horizon League First Team in 2023. Duvall earned Horizon League Second Team honors in 2021 and 2022.
With deep recruiting ties in the Midwest, Kelifgen helped bring forward Grayson Rose to Northern Kentucky from Garrettsville, Ohio. Rose earned Horizion League All-Defensive honors in 2021 and became the first player in program history to be named Horizion League Defensive Player of the Year in 2022.
As the team's academic liaison, Kelifgen helped guide the team to several academic accolades. Forward Kailey Coffey was a three-time CoSIDA Academic All-District Team selection, becoming the first to receive the honor in program history. She was also a Horizon League All-Academic Team selection from 2019-2021.
Prior to NKU, Kelifgen spent one year at Kentucky as the team's staff support associate. She assisted the Wildcat staff with daily operations in the office and assisted with basketball camps at Kentucky, Lipscomb and The Next Level Basketball Camp.
As a player, Kleifgen was a four-year player at Eckerd College. She tied Eckerd's career mark by appearing in 110 games. She ranks second on the Tritons' all-time list in assists (406), sixth in made free throws (267), 12th in free-throw percentage (.740), 14th in made three-pointers (67), 15th in three-point percentage (.310), 16th in steals (118) and 18th in points (765). She helped lead the Tritons to their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance in 2015 and left Eckerd as only the third player in program history to finish with over 700 points and 400 assists.
Kelifgen graduated from Eckerd with a degree in biology in 2015.
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