Stony Brook, N.Y. - Stony Brook head women's basketball coach Caroline McCombs has announced the hirings of assistant coaches Janie Mitchell and Audrey Cunningham. Mitchell comes to the Seawolves after spending the last three seasons as an assistant at Kennesaw State, while Cunningham spent the last two seasons as the Director of Recruiting Operations at the University of Maryland.

Mitchell has served as Kennesaw State's recruiting coordinator since 2013-14. In 2014-15 the Owls won 17 games, their highest win total since 2004-05.

"I am thrilled to have Coach Mitchell join our Seawolves' basketball family," said McCombs. "She is an outstanding person who will make an immediate impact with our student-athletes. Janie was a high-level collegiate player and will bring a tremendous amount of competitiveness, passion and knowledge to our program. As our recruiting coordinator, Coach Mitchell is someone who builds genuine relationships and will continue to target the best student-athletes for our program across the nation. I'm thankful for the positive influence she will have at Stony Brook on a daily basis."

Prior to her time at Kennesaw State Mitchell spent three years with her alma mater Yellow Jackets as an assistant coach, working primarily with the team's post players.

While with Georgia Tech, the Yellow Jackets set school records for wins in her first two seasons, advancing to the NCAA Tournament both years and appearing in the school's first ever Sweet 16 in 2012.

"I am privileged and grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the women's basketball staff at Stony Brook University," said Mitchell. "Coach McCombs has a phenomenal vision for the program, and I am excited to partner with her as we continue the pattern of success that she's created here in a short period of time. This is a wonderful time and place to begin my new journey, and I already feel incredibly embraced by our university and the Stony Brook community."

On the individual side, Mitchell helped center Sasha Goodlett earn second team All-ACC and ACC All-Tournament first team honors. Goodlett was named the State of Georgia's Women's College Player of the Year and became just the second Yellow Jacket selected in the first round of the WNBA Draft when she was picked No. 11 overall by the Indiana Fever.

Mitchell also served a stint as an assistant coach at Southern Polytechnic State University, where she coached under WBCA NAIA National Coach of the Year, Nate Teymer. The Hornets went 30-5 in her only season.

Mitchell was a standout, All-ACC student-athlete at Georgia Tech from 2004-08, leading the Yellow Jackets in scoring (16.4 ppg) and rebounding (6.3 rpg) as a senior. She became the 22nd player in school history to reach 1,000 points and the 15th to finish her career with 1,000 points and 500 rebounds.

After her collegiate career, Mitchell spent time in camp with the Sacramento Monarchs of the WNBA before becoming the first-ever American female to play in Rousse, Bulgaria for Dunnav Econt.

Mitchell was the 2004 State of Mississippi Gatorade Player of the Year and an Adidas and Nike All-American at Callaway High School.

Also joining McCombs' staff is Audrey Cunningham, a former college basketball player at the University of New Haven and the Director of Recruiting Operations at the University of Maryland.

"Coach Audrey comes from a perennial top 10 program and with that comes her winning mentality," lauded McCombs. "She is a tireless worker who has learned from some of the best in the business. At Maryland, Audrey spearheaded recruiting efforts that landed some of the top-ranked classes in the country. Her energy and organization will be welcomed commodities and we are eager to get her on the court with our players."

The Terrapins enjoyed one of their best seasons in program history in 2015-16, winning a Big Ten title and finishing with a 31-4 overall record and no. 5 national ranking at season's end.

"First, I want to thank everyone at the University of Maryland for an amazing opportunity and such a memorable experience," said Cunningham. "I learned a lot under Coach Frese and value all the relationships I gained there."

"With that being said, I am honored and humbled to join the Stony Brook family, and incredibly excited to begin my coaching career here with the Seawolves under the guidance of Caroline and a great staff," Cunningham continued. "I am eager to work with this talented group of student-athletes and a coach who has had as much success as Caroline in a short amount of time. My ultimate goal is to help the program and these young women grow each and every day and to help win us a title!"

Cunningham's role with the Terrapins featured leading all aspects of the recruiting process including official visits, evaluations, home visits, AAU/HS schedules, and travel arrangements.

Under Cunningham's lead, Maryland assembled the no. 1 ranked recruiting class in the country in 2016 according to espnW HoopGurlz Class Rankings, landing four five-star recruits, one four-star recruit and a three-star recruit.