Bearcats women’s basketball adds assistant coaches Myia Johnson, Devrinn Paul

The Bearcats women’s basketball team added two assistant coaches last month, hiring Myia Johnson and Devrinn Paul. Johnson spent the last three seasons as an assistant coach at Penn State, while Paul is returning to the sidelines after spending six years as a consultant. Cincinnati still has one assistant coaching job available.

Melissa Kolbe left to become Wittenberg’s head coach.

Michelle Clark-Heard is returning as head coach for a fourth season but will have a new staff around her as the Bearcats look to rebound from back to back disappointing campaigns. Cincinnati has gone 19-33 since reaching the AAC Tournament championship game in 2020. The team went 46-21 in Clark-Heard’s first two years.

Johnson recently joined the Bearcats staff following three years as an assistant coach, assistant defensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator with the Nittany Lions. The Cincinnati native worked in the Big Ten since 2013, as an assistant coach and video coordinator at Ohio State and Wisconsin before heading to Penn State.

She also spent time at South Florida in 2012.

Paul was an assistant coach and recruiting specialist at Marshall from 2013-2016 before moving into consulting. Prior to that, the New York native was a graduate assistant and video coordinator at Louisville. He was a part of the Cardinals’ historic trips to the Final Four in 2009 and 2013.

Because of their time as a video coordinator and various other coaching positions, Johnson and Paul will bring valuable expertise and experience in film breakdown, game planing, and scouting reports. Cincinnati is scheduled to start the upcoming season in early November as they hope to compete for a regular season conference championship.

The Bearcats bring back four seniors including Sofia Gritzali, Jada Scott, Jadyn Scott and Caitlyn Wilson. Junior wings Jillian Hayes and Taziah Jenks are also expected to play major roles, while Braylyn Milton hopes to build on a successful freshman season. Cincinnati has reached postseason play just three times in the last 11 years.