Former South Carolina women’s basketball standout Ashley Bruner is continuing her coaching journey with a new stop. After serving as associate head coach at Langston University last season, Bruner has been hired as an assistant coach at Tennessee State, where she will work under head coach Candice Dupree — a former player for Dawn Staley at Temple.
Bruner enjoyed a long professional playing career overseas before stepping into coaching. Over the course of eight seasons, she competed in Ecuador, France, Italy, Portugal, Puerto Rico, and Spain. Since retiring from playing, she has built coaching experience at Tuskegee, UNC-Wilmington, and Langston.
At South Carolina, Bruner was one of the key players in the early years of Staley’s rebuild. She arrived during Staley’s second season and, after spending her freshman year as a reserve, moved into a larger role as a part-time starter for the next two years. As a senior, she started every game and earned All-SEC honors.
Known for her toughness and work on the glass, Bruner averaged 10.3 points and 8.1 rebounds during her senior campaign. Wearing No. 21, she recorded nine double-doubles that season, establishing herself as one of the team’s most reliable frontcourt players.
Her impact helped South Carolina transition from a losing record in her freshman year to an NIT berth, followed by back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances. That foundation paved the way for the Gamecocks’ sustained success, as the program has since reached at least the Sweet Sixteen every season and claimed three national championships along the way.
