Women's Basketball
- Title:
- Director of Operations
- Email:
- ashley.lona@siu.edu
Ashley Lona enters her second season as the director of basketball operations for the SIU women's basketball team.
As the director of basketball operations, Lona will be involved in all phases of the day-to-day operations of the women’s basketball office. Her responsibilities include making travel arrangements, organizing practice times, serving as a liaison with academics and marketing and assisting with alumni and community service events.
During her first season on staff, the Salukis posted their sixth-straight winning record. Southern defeated a ranked opponent (Missouri State) for the first time since 1991 and the Salukis finished with a RPI of 105, its highest since 2007. SIU’s four top-100 wins during the 2019-20 season were its most since at least 2002. The Salukis also repeated as Compass Challenge Champions and Nicole Martin and Makenzie Silvey were both selected to the All-MVC honorable mention team while Brittney Patrick earned her first career All-Defensive Team honor.
Lona came to SIU after spending three years as a personal trainer and fitness advisor in the Colorado area. Prior to that, she spent three years working in the health care industry as a technician at a plasma collection center in Missoula, Montana.
Lona previously coached at Montana State University Billings, where she served as a graduate assistant coach from 2011 to 2013. While on staff, she was directly involved with MSUB's pre- and post-season conditioning program and directed the weight training program. Some of her additional duties included assisting with practice and game preparation, scouting, camps, team academics and individual player skill development. The Jackets compiled a 35-22 record in her two seasons on staff.
A native of Waconia, Minn., Lona attended Northern State University in Aberdeen, South Dakota. A 5-foot-10 guard, Lona spent three seasons on the Wolves basketball team and appeared in 20 games during her freshman and sophomore seasons before recurring knee injuries cut her playing career short. After graduating from Northern State in 2010, she spent a season as a volunteer assistant coach for the Wolves.
Lona earned her bachelor’s degree in marketing and administration with a minor in coaching from Northern State University in 2010 and went on to receive her master’s of science in exercise and sport leadership from Montana State University-Billings in 2013.
