Yori Adds Bethea as Director of Operations

Lincoln- Nebraska women's basketball coach Connie Yori announced the addition of Jan Bethea to the Husker staff as director of operations on Monday.

Bethea brings a strong resume as a collegiate assistant coach and director of operations. In 2008, Bethea also played a key role in launching one of the most historically significant projects for the Women's Basketball Coaches Association, serving as the Manager of New Initiatives for the Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Foundation. She also assisted in managing efforts for the Think Pink campaign. The initiative raised more than $1 million for cancer research with more than 1,100 colleges and universities participating in campaign efforts.

Bethea has spent the past year working in marketing and public relations, assisting with the development of "Play Through the Foul Team Building and Communication Workshops," a fun and interactive workshop designed to empower, enlighten and encourage effective interpersonal communication.

"Jan brings great experience in administration and she is a good fit for our program right now," Yori said. "Her values and beliefs match ours, and she wants to help our student-athletes maximize their potential both on and off the court."

Bethea spent five seasons as the director of basketball operations at UNLV from 2000 to 2005. Her duties included game scheduling, team travel, coordinating tournaments, as well as community outreach activities. She was also the liaison for marketing, public relations and the booster club. She coordinated Meet The Lady Rebels Night, Lady Rebel luncheons, and the annual 5K Run With The Lady Rebels, while also serving as Chairperson of the Minority Opportunity Committee for athletics.

"I couldn't be more thrilled to join the Nebraska program," Bethea said. "Coach Yori and her staff have done an excellent job with the program. What impressed me the most was that Coach Yori has looked beyond competition in mentoring her players by emphasizing the importance of academics, which is evident in Nebraska's 100 percent graduation rate."

Following her five-year stint at UNLV, Bethea served as an assistant coach for two seasons at Cal State Northridge from 2005 to 2007. In addition to coordinating team travel, meals and practice schedules, Bethea also assisted with the program's budget, opponent scouting, game preparation and all aspects of on- and off-campus recruiting.

From 1999 to 2000, Bethea served as the WBCA Events Manager for the High School Girls All-America game. She was directly responsible for the planning, development and execution of the game, which featured 20 of the top high school seniors from across the country.

Prior to her role as an events manager, Bethea served as the events coordinator with the WBCA and also spent a year as the president of her own event planning company, Ultimate Events.

While completing her coursework at St. Augustine's College in Raleigh, N.C., Bethea was the acting Director of Intramurals and Assistant Academic Coordinator for the athletic department. She held the position until receiving her bachelor's degree in physical education in 1995.

In 1998, she earned her master's degree in sports administration from St. Thomas University in Miami, Fla., while working as an athletic academic monitor for student-athletes at the University of Miami.

Bethea is a native of Raleigh, N.C.