TicketsJuly 10, 2007
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CINCINNATI -- Tari Cummings, a former assistant coach at the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith, joins J. Kelley Hall's University of Cincinnati women's basketball staff in the same capacity. She will serve as the recruiting coordinator, and will mentor the post players, while also serving as the team's academic oversight.
"With a combination of her Division I playing experience and her coaching and recruiting abilities, Tari will be a valuable asset to the women's basketball program at the University of Cincinnati," first-year head coach J. Kelley Hall said.
Cummings spent four seasons at Arkansas-Fort Smith under long-time head coach Louis Whorton, where she helped the Lions to three NJCAA National Tournament appearances, including a pair of final fours and a consolation championship. She mentored three NJCAA all-americans during her tenure at UA-Fort Smith.
A 1998-99 NJCAA all-American at UA-Fort Smith (then Westark College), Cummings served as team captain during each of her two years and helped the Lions to a seventh-place finish in the NJCAA National Tournament in 1997-98. Her 1,262 career points ranked third in the program's history. She went on to play three seasons at Oklahoma State University, where she was an all-Big 12 performer in 2001-02, averaging 13.1 points per contest and leading the Cowgirls with 6.9 rebounds per game.
"Tari is one of the nation's best up-and-coming recruiters," Hall said. "She has a great work ethic and has great connections. She is an excellent post coach, and we are excited to have her join our staff."
Cummings earned her Associate of Arts degree from Westark College in 1999 and received a B.S. in sociology from Oklahoma State in 2003.
A native of Pocola, Okla., Cummings has a six-year-old daughter, Tiya.