How 3 former Phoenix Mercury coaches built a WNBA dynasty
Phoenix Mercury head coaches Paul Westhead, Corey Gaines and Sandy Brondello each won a WNBA championship as they built a dynasty in the desert.
- Pillow played for coach Pat Summitt at Tennessee and has coaching experience at Kentucky and Middle Tennessee State.
- Memphis coach Alex Simmons praised Pillow’s experience and leadership qualities.
Memphis women’s basketball has hired former Florida A&M coach Shalon Pillow as chief of staff.
Pillow was coach at FAMU from 2021 to 2023, where she went 9-48 overall. For the past two seasons, she has been the varsity girls basketball coach and assistant athletic director at Saint Andrew’s School in Boca Raton, Florida.
Prior to her tenure at FAMU, she was an assistant coach on Rick Insell’s staff at MTSU from 2014 to 2020. She was an assistant at Kentucky from 2009 to 2014.
Pillow played at Tennessee from 1998 to 2002 under Summitt. The 6-foot-3 center was in two Final Fours and on four SEC championship title teams.
