St. John's University Athletics
Women's Basketball
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
One of the most promising young assistant coaches in all of women's college basketball, Tasha Pointer has signed on to join Joe Tartamella's staff at St. John's.
"I walk into a great and exciting opportunity with St. John's, to support Coach Joe Tartamella's vision for the Red Storm family," said Pointer. "His successes nationally, and his foundation for much more within the BIG EAST, are extremely appealing. I've always respected the St. John's program from afar, and now I get to appreciate it from within and be a part of it."
"I am thrilled to welcome Tasha to our program and family," said Tartamella. "Tasha's experience at Rutgers both as a successful player and coach will be a great asset to our program. She is a tremendous recruiter and has helped develop numerous WNBA draft picks in her career."
Pointer, a superstar during her playing days at Rutgers in the late 1990's and early 2000's, has emerged as a force on the bench as well. An assistant coach under hall of famer C. Vivian Stringer for the last eight seasons in Piscataway, Pointer proved instrumental in helping Rutgers land three top-five recruiting classes (2008, 2011 and 2012) during her tenure at her alma mater.
Pointer's recruiting acumen helped yield immediate results for the Scarlet Knights, as Rutgers reached the postseason in seven of her eight years on the staff, including six trips to the NCAA Tournament and a WNIT title. In addition, the Scarlet Knights finished with a winning record in all eight seasons under Pointer's direction.
The pinnacle of Rutgers' success under Pointer came during her first year on staff, when the Scarlet Knights reached the Elite Eight of the 2008 NCAA Tournament. The following year in 2008-09, Rutgers once again advanced out of the first weekend of play and reached the Sweet 16.
In 2013-14, Pointer helped Rutgers claim its first-ever postseason title, as the Scarlet Knights took home the WNIT crown.
This past season, Pointer helped mentor Rutgers to a 23-10 record during its first year in the Big Ten, advancing to the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament before falling to eventual national champion Connecticut. The Scarlet Knights defeated Seton Hall in the opening round of the tournament, 79-66.
A fourth-round pick by the Portland Fire in the 2001 WNBA Draft, Pointer mentored eight WNBA draft picks as an assistant coach at her alma mater.
Before returning to Rutgers, Pointer served one season as an assistant at Xavier (2006-07) and two years on staff at Columbia (2004-06). In Cincinnati, Pointer helped lead the Musketeers to a 26-9 record, tying for the second most wins in school history and helping the program win its third Atlantic 10 title.
A crafty guard out of Chicago, Pointer arrived on the Rutgers campus in 1997 and quickly emerged as one of the most gifted players in the history of the storied program.
A two-time selection to the NCAA All-Tournament Team, Pointer led the Scarlet Knights to their first-ever Final Four appearance as a junior captain in 2000, capping off a season that saw her earn Associated Press Honorable Mention All-America honors. A four-time all-conference honoree, Pointer was twice named to the All-BIG EAST First Team ('99, '01) and twice found a spot on the All-BIG EAST Second Team ('98, '00). She also took home BIG EAST Rookie of the Year honors in the Spring of 1998.
Named to the BIG EAST 25th Anniversary Team in 2003, Pointer is the Scarlet Knights' all-time leader (men's or women's) in both assists (839) and steals (292). In addition, she scored 1,456 points during her four years, good enough for 11th on the school's all-time list.
As a senior, Pointer became the first player in Rutgers basketball history (men's or women's) to record a triple-double, a feat that she would go on to accomplish four times that season.
Pointer is married to Kwabena Yamoah and they are the proud parents of daughter, Nariah.
