Ursuline College Associate Basketball Coach, Shelby Wheeler, has been selected for the Women's Basketball Coaches Association Next Generation Institute Class of 2025.
 
The WBCA Next Generation Institute is a prestigious program for NCAA Assistant Basketball Coaches at the Division I, II, and III level. The program is intended for those who aspire to become collegiate head coaches. Applicants were nominated by their Head Coaches back in August. From there, Wheeler went through a series of applications, interviews, and recommendations for the selection process.
 
Ursuline's Head Basketball Coach, Shannon Sword, nominated Shelby for this program. She comments "Shelby is the best of the best. She is a true servant leader and is so invested in our program and mentoring student-athletes. No doubt, she will be a successful head coach one day. This opportunity is well deserved!"
 
The program takes members through months of educational training, workshops, and networking prior to the WBCA convention. 'The curriculum focuses on the CEO attributes needed to lead a program and be a problem-solver in today's ever-changing landscape of higher education and the enterprise of intercollegiate athletics.'
 
Shelby is eager to get started in the program, stating "I'm looking forward to the opportunity to learn from other coaches and administrators about how to serve a program and an institution at a high level. There is so much that goes into it."
 
The Women's Basketball Association was founded in 1981 as a 'professional association for coaches of women's and girls' basketball at all levels of competition.'
 
Wheeler has served on the WBCA Assistant Coaches Committee since 2019. Shelby comments "I'm beyond grateful for the WBCA as an organization. They've given me so many opportunities to learn from coaches across different governing bodies and in a variety of areas. To be included in this program is a real honor I hope to continue to earn."
 
Shelby joined the Arrows staff in July of 2023 and made an immediate impact on the program. In the 2023-2024 season, the Arrows had their best start in program history with an 8-0 record. The knowledge and skills that she will gain from this program will directly benefit the young women of Arrows Basketball. "I'm excited to bring the knowledge I gain back to the program at UC to serve our staff and student athletes. Ursuline has been a great place open to ideas, while staying grounded in many ways. "
 
The Institute is held in conjunction with the WBCA Convention, which this year takes place April 3-6 in Tampa, FL. For more information on the WBCA Next Generation Institute, visit: https://wbca.org/next-generation-institute/
 
The full 2025 WBCA Next Generation Institute class includes:
 

Name	Institution
Tennille Adams	University of Alabama
Tahnee Balerio	University of Georgia
Brittany Batts	Gannon University
KaeLynn Boyd	University of Texas at Arlington
Sheila Boykin	University of South Florida
Camryn Brown	Florida Gulf Coast University
Coretta Brown	Eastern Kentucky University
Karlie Burris	University of Nevada–Las Vegas
Shannon Bush	Cornell University
Camille Collier	Arizona State University
Empress Davenport	University of Mississippi
Miki Glenn	Fairmont State University
John Hampton	Rutgers University
Heidi Heintz	University of California, Berkeley
Terra Helm	McKendree University
Ashley Johnson	Furman University
Kelly Komara	Purdue University
Katie Kuester	Saint Joseph's University (PA)
Ariel Massengale	Southern Illinois University–Edwardsville
Jordan McCann	Loyola University (IL)
Deont'a McChester	Marquette University
Sarah Miles	University of Denver
Sara Mitchell	Manhattan College
Brittany Morris	North Carolina State University
Darrell Mosley	Arizona State University
Eryc Pittman	University of South Alabama
Ashley Robinson	University of Pennsylvania
Callan Stores	Manhattan College
Sarah Taylor	Embry Riddle Aeronautical University
Lindsay Werntz	University of Denver
Shelby Wheeler	Ursuline College
Clint Williams	Brown University