STAFF

Stephanie Lawrence Yelton | Head Coach

In 12 seasons at the helm of the UWF women's basketball program, Stephanie Lawrence Yelton has transformed the program into one of the most consistent groups in the Gulf South Conference and the South Region.

Since being hired on April 26, 2012, she has returned UWF to a regional power by winning a Gulf South Conference regular-season and tournament championships, while leading the program to the NCAA Tournament four times, including a 2017 South Region title that put the Argonauts into the Elite Eight for the first time in school history. Her teams have finished in the top half of the GSC standings eight of the last 10 fully completed years.

Last season UWF went 16-13 and finished in the top five of the GSC for the fourth-consecutive season. Brooke Kane and Tyashia Bostick both eclipsed the 1,000-point mark in their careers during the season.

During the 2022-23 season, she led the Argonauts to the program's eighth 20-win season and the fourth in Yelton's time on the bench. She became the winningest coach in UWF history with an 83-73 road victory over Christian Brothers on Feb. 4, 2023.

In 2021-22, she led the Argonauts return to the upper half of the GSC, posting a 19-8 overall record and a 13-6 mark in league action. The season featured an early-season 10-game winning streak and just the third 5-0 GSC start in program history. Jaclyn Jarnot was a First Team All-GSC and All-Region pick, and Zoe Piller was the GSC Freshman of the Year as the duo formed one of the most dangerous front court tandems in the country, combining to average 31.4 points and 21.9 rebounds per game.

During the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season, UWF went 9-9 in the regular-season and qualified for the GSC Tournament. The Argos set the single-game 3-point record twice with 12 makes in wins over No. 18 Lee and West Georgia. Danielle Norquest ended her UWF career with 849 points, 700 rebounds and 28 double-doubles over 100 games that season, capping it with First Team All-GSC honors. 

In 2018-19, UWF won 24 games and reached the NCAA Tournament for the fourth time in six seasons. Along the way, the squad set school records for field goal percentage (45.2) and 3-point field goal percentage (35.9). The Argos were also one of the tougher defensive units in the country, ranking second nationally in 3-point field goal defense and defensive rebounds. Yelton was named the GSC Coach of the Year after the Argos went 17-3 during the regular-season.

The GSC Player of the Year and WBCA All-America honoree Toni Brewer completed her standout career with 1,702 points – second in UWF history – and a school-record 1,197 rebounds. She was a 3-time All-Region selection and a 2-time All-American.

In 2017-18, the Argonauts won 18 games and reached the GSC Tournament Championship as the No. 6 seed. UWF went 10-2 at home and also collected three wins over eventual NCAA Tournament teams. Halee Nieman made an immediate impact as a transfer, leading the team with 14.7 points per game while earning Second Team All-GSC honors.

The 2016-17 season was nothing short of amazing. Led by All-America selections Alex Coyne and Brewer, and the program's career rebounding leader Katie Bobos, UWF established school records with a 28 overall victories and 18 GSC wins. The Argos won the conference regular-season crown before rolling through the South Regional with wins over Nova Southeastern, Benedict and Rollins.

Coyne was named the GSC Player of the Year and ended her two-year career with a school-record 423 assists. Bobos became the first player in program history to appear in three NCAA tournaments before leaving fifth all-time in scoring (1,362) and first in career rebounds (1,005).

In her second season (2013-14), the Argos finished with at least 19 wins in a season for the seventh time in school history, advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the third time and won its first Gulf South Conference Tournament Championship in school history. She coached Tessah Holt to an All-GSC First Team honor, Toynetta Johnson to an All-GSC Second Team honor and Katie Bobos to the GSC Freshman of the Year award. In addition, she was named the GSC Coach of the Year. The Argos received votes in the Women’s Basketball Coaches’ Association poll and won the Comfort Inn Thanksgiving Tournament (hosted by UWF) during the season.

In her third season (2014-15), UWF won 20 or more games for the fifth time in school history and advanced to the NCAA Tournament semifinals for the second time in school history. She coach Toni Brewer to All-South Region, GSC Freshman of the Year and All-GSC Second Team honors and Jasmine Wigfall to an NCAA South Regional All-Tournament team honor. The Argos continued to receive votes in the WBCA national poll.

Yelton's first season (2012-13) was highlighted by a 66-51 upset over conference powerhouse Delta State in the first conference win of her career and Hanna Vette's All-GSC Second Team honor. Yelton had mourned the loss of her late husband Jack Yelton in the first months of the season before she returned to coaching in January.

Prior to coming to UWF, Yelton brought 16 years of women’s basketball coaching experience at the NCAA Division I and II levels. The Morrow, Ga. native has five years of experience as a Division I head coach at Charleston Southern, and her most recent position was an assistant with the Boston College women’s basketball program. Yelton is a 1996 graduate of North Carolina, where she was a member of UNC’s 1993-94 NCAA national championship team.

Yelton’s coaching career started in 1996-97 as an assistant coach at Wingate University, a Division II institution in Wingate, N.C. After a year at Wingate, which included winning the South Atlantic Conference championship, she started a four-year stint as an assistant with Wake Forest women’s basketball in 1997-98.

After five total years as an assistant coach, Yelton earned her first head coaching job at Charleston Southern in 2001. In her time at CSU, she was the youngest head coach in Division I basketball, and she coached five All-Big South Conference players during her tenure.

Yelton then moved on to Ohio University in 2006-07 to join her former UNC teammate Sylvia Crawley on the women’s basketball staff as assistant head coach. Ohio posted a record of 38-15 in their two years coaching the Bobcats, which were highlighted by a trip to the Mid-American Conference championship game.

Crawley, the head coach, and Yelton, the assistant, then moved on to Boston College for the 2008-09 season. In four years at BC, Crawley and Yelton led the team to a record of 67-62. The Eagles advanced to the Atlantic Coast Conference semifinals for the first time in school history in 2008-09, and the team advanced to the WNIT semifinals in 2009-10 and the WNIT third round in 2010-11. While at BC, Yelton’s teams posted six wins over opponents ranked in the top 25 and two wins over top 10 opponents.

As a player, Yelton (Stephanie Lawrence at the time) helped lead UNC to a pair of ACC championships and the team’s first NCAA national title in 1993-94. She graduated from UNC as the school’s career leader in every three-point shooting statistical category. Yelton was also an ACC All-Tournament Team selection in 1995. After her college career, she also competed professionally in the New Zealand Professional Basketball League in 1996.

Yelton excelled as a prep basketball player, leading Morrow High School to three AAAA state championships. In 1991, she was named “Miss Georgia Basketball.”

Yelton graduated from UNC in 1996 with a bachelor’s degree in communication studies with an emphasis in interpersonal communication. She married Ed Spears on May 24, 2015 and the couple has four children, Bobby and Toby Yelton and Ben and Hannah Spears.

Yelton currently serves on the WBCA Board of Directors as a Division II representative and is a WBCA Top-25 Poll Voter. She is currently in her second term on the NCAA South Regional Advisory Committee and is the chair of the South Region. She has also served on the University of West Florida's Multicultural Competency Committee.

Yelton’s Coaching Career:
Division II Head Coach Record
West Florida
2012-13: 6-21
2013-14: 19-11
2014-15: 20-9
2015-16: 17-10
2016-17: 28-7
2017-18: 18-12
2018-19: 24-6
2019-20: 8-20
2020-21: 9-10
2021-22: 19-8
2022-23: 22-7
2023-24: 16-13
TOTAL: 206-134 (12 years)

Division I Head Coach Record
Charleston Southern
2001-02 - 12-16
2002-03 - 13-15
2003-04 - 11-17
2004-05 - 13-15
2005-06 - 7-21
TOTAL - 56-84 (5 years)

Division I Assistant Coach Record
Boston College
2008-09 - 23-12
2009-10 - 17-15
2010-11 - 20-12
2011-12 - 7-23
TOTAL - 67-62 (4 years)

Ohio University
2006-07 - 18-12
2007-08 - 20-13
TOTAL - 38-15 (2 years)

Wake Forest
1997-98 - 4-23
1998-99 - 8-20
1999-00 - 7-21
2000-01 - 11-15
TOTAL - 30-79 (4 years)

Division II Assistant Coach Record
Wingate
1996-97 - 20-9 (1 year)