North Carolina State University Athletics
Kevin Leatherwood, Kayla Jones Join NC State Women’s Hoops Staff
8/25/2023 11:07:00 AM | Women's Basketball
RALEIGH — NC State women's basketball head coach Wes Moore announced Friday that he has added Kevin Leatherwood (assistant coach) and Kayla Jones (graduate assistant) to his staff.
Leatherwood joins the Pack after spending the last three seasons as an assistant coach at Navy. He also previously served as Director of Basketball Operations at Georgia State and assistant coach at Hampden-Sydney College.
Jones, a program alumna (Class of 2022), comes back to Raleigh after having spent the last season playing professionally.
KEVIN LEATHERWOOD
"Coach Leatherwood is a great new addition to our staff," said Moore. "He's really strong on the court and with player development, and he has a passion for teaching players the finer points of the game. He brings an upbeat personality that makes him an excellent communicator both on and off the court. His previous Division I experience will also be an asset in all phases of our program's preparation and planning for the upcoming season."
"I want to thank Coach Moore for this opportunity to join his staff and Wolfpack Nation," said Leatherwood. "I am honored to learn from Coach Moore and this amazing coaching staff every day. My goal is to bring value each day and build on the already successful tradition of NC State women's basketball. Go Pack!"
During his time at Navy, Leatherwood helped guide the Mids to a total of four All-Patriot League honors and was part of the team's run to the conference tournament semifinals in 2021-22.
Before heading to Annapolis, he spent two seasons as a member of the staff at Georgia State. As the Panthers' Director of Operations, Leatherwood managed the team's travel, long-range budgeting, breakdown of game film and direction of summer camp. Georgia State reached the postseason in Leatherwood's first year with a spot in the 2019 Women's Basketball Invitational, capping off a 17-win year that marked the most victories for the squad since 2003-04.
Leatherwood's first coaching stop was as an assistant coach for the men's basketball team at Hampden-Sydney where he joined the Tiger staff prior to the 2014-15 season. In four years in Farmville, Va., he took on numerous responsibilities both on and off the court. He was leaned on as the defensive coordinator for Hampden-Sydney while also having heavy involvement in skill development, practice planning and recruiting. Leatherwood also managed operational aspects of the Tiger program during his tenure in addition to coordinating the team's social media accounts. Hampden-Sydney had a total of four Old Dominion Athletic Conference honorees under his guidance.
A native of Charlottesville, Va., Leatherwood was a four-year letterwinner at Carson-Newman. He ended his collegiate career having been a part of 65 wins for the Eagles between 2010-11 and 2013-14. During his senior season, the Eagles reached the NCAA Division II Tournament for the program's first such appearance in over 10 years.
Leatherwood graduated from Carson-Newman in 2014 with a degree in business administration. He is the proud father of a daughter Amiyah and a son Kai.
KAYLA JONES
"It's special to have KJ back with the Pack," said Moore. "She was a great leader on the court for three-straight ACC Championship teams, so it's exciting to have her on the sideline passing that knowledge on. Having played for five years in the program, she'll be a great resource for the talented young players who are new to our system. She's also been a pro herself and will be able to get on the court and demonstrate the skills needed to play at the next level."
"Being able to return to my alma mater as a member of the coaching staff is such a blessing," said Jones. "I want to extend a thank you to Coach Moore and the entire staff for believing in me as a player and for this incredible opportunity to come back home as a graduate assistant. The experiences and lessons I gained during my collegiate career at NC State have shaped me into who I am today, and I'm excited to pay it forward and help mentor this next generation of players on their own incredible journeys with the Pack."
A native of Jamesville, N.C., Jones started her collegiate career at NC State in 2017-18 and used her extra season of eligibility to close out a decorated five-year career in 2021-22. She shot 47.6 percent overall (414-of-870) and 35.5 percent from distance (119-of-335) during her career and left NC State ranked in the program's top 15 in three-point percentage and rebounds (734). Jones also ended her career with over 1,000 career points.
After stepping permanently into the starting five in 2019-20, Jones was considered the "glue player" for a Wolfpack team that won three-straight ACC Tournament titles, claimed the ACC regular-season crown in her graduate year and reached the NCAA Elite Eight in her final season on the squad.
Jones was a First Team All-ACC honoree in 2020-21 after being one of just three players in the ACC to average 11+ points, 7+ rebounds and 2.5+ assists on the year. With the Pack's scoring attack spread out in 2021-22, she earned All-ACC recognition again after scoring in double figures in 12 games, dishing out 3+ assists in 13 outings and posting a pair of double-doubles.
Following the conclusion of her collegiate career, Jones was selected by the Minnesota Lynx in the 2022 WNBA Draft (round 2, pick 22).
She earned her undergraduate degree in Sport Management from NC State in May of 2021 and added a graduate certificate in Sport and Entertainment Venue Management in May of 2022. Jones will now pursue a Master's in Liberal Arts while taking on this role with the Wolfpack coaching staff.
