ORLANDO – The UCF women's basketball team fills out their coaching staff with the addition of AnnMarie Gilbert and Steven Key as they join the program as assistant coaches, announced by head coach Sytia Messer on Monday.
The duo brings in over 50 years of coaching experience through all the ranks from college to Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA).
AnnMarie Gilbert
Gilbert, a 30-year collegiate coaching veteran, joins the UCF women’s basketball program as an assistant coach.
We are thrilled to welcome AnnMarie, a seasoned coach to our coaching staff, someone who brings a deep level of experience to our program. She has an amazing knowledge of the game of basketball. We feel that Coach G will play a pivotal role in helping our program continue to advance.
Sytia MesserWomen's Basketball Head CoachGilbert comes to Orlando after spending three seasons as associate head coach at Winthrop. She helped the Eagles improve from eight wins in 2022-23 to 16 wins during the 2024-25 season.
Prior to Rock Hill, Gilbert served stints at Detroit and Virginia Union. She spent the 2020-21 season as head coach at Detroit where she produced the fourth leading scorer in the Horizon League and her team ranked third in the conference in both steals (8.71) and free throw percentage (71.9%) while also maintaining an overall 3.2 team GPA.
Before heading to Detroit, Gilbert served as head coach at Virginia Union from 2015-2020 where she compiled an overall record of 135-18 and was a relentless and tireless recruiter. During her tenure at VUU, Gilbert produced four different Players of the Year including one Division II National Player of the Year and two Defensive Players of the Year. Her teams won three Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) titles, five CIAA Northern Division titles, two Atlantic Region titles, five NCAA Tournament appearances, one Elite Eight and one National Championship appearance. Gilbert was three times the CIAA Coach of the Year, two times the National Sports Media Association Coach of the Year, and HBCU Coach of the Year.
Ahead of her stint at Virginia Union, Gilbert led Eastern Michigan to an overall record of 94-64 while winning 2 MAC West titles, earning two WNIT bids, along with one MAC Tournament championship and one NCAA Tournament appearance.
Before her appointment at Eastern Michigan, Gilbert served as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Michigan State and helped the program to a record of 120-44 in five years, along with a Big Ten title, one Big Ten Tournament title, NCAA Regional title, and a National Championship runner-up finish.
She graduated from Oberlin College with a bachelor's degree in sociology before completing a master's degree in education at Cleveland State University.
Gilbert, a three-year starter for Elyria High School was inducted into the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010. During her senior year, she was named Ohio’s Miss Basketball.
Steven Key
Key, a dynamic basketball professional with over two decades of coaching experience, joins the UCF women’s basketball staff as an assistant coach.
We’re excited to welcome Steven to our coaching staff with his high level of experience (WNBA Head Coach). He has a proven basketball IQ and he’s a proven leader. He’s exactly what our team needs to help us compete at the highest level of the Big 12. His ability to connect with players, see the game strategically and bring out the best in those around him makes him an incredible addition to our program.
Sytia MesserWomen's Basketball Head CoachKey comes to Orlando after spending six years in Germany as a coach in the European Professional League (Eisbaeren Bremerhaven and Oliver Wurzburg). As head coach for the Eisbaeren, he helped guide the team to a winning percentage of .500 or above in both years. Key spent four seasons at Oliver Wurzburg as an assistant coach (2018-22).
Before his time in Germany, Key spent time in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) where he was assistant coach with the Connecticut Sun, Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky along with head coach for the Chicago Sky.
Key’s coaching career began as a Sky assistant in 2006 and 2007. In just his second season, he helped guide the Sky to a 14-20 record as they ended the previous year with just five wins. Following the end of the 2007 season, Key was elevated to head coach and served in that position for three seasons (2008-2010). In his first two seasons, he guided the team to a top-five finish. Throughout his time with the Sky, he coached the 2007 WNBA Rookie of the Year (Arminitie Price) along with four all-rookie team and all-defensive team selections.
A former college point guard at Boston University where he was named the American East Player of the Year in 1990, Key played professionally in the Chinese Basketball Association and throughout Europe. He coached briefly in Germany with Neckar Riesen before returning to the WNBA with the Connecticut Sun.
The Columbia, Maryland, native graduated from Boston University with a bachelor’s degree in mass communications and public relations.
About UCF Athletics
UCF is a proud member of the Big 12 Conference. Our mission is to positively transform the lives of our students academically, athletically, and personally through a nationally competitive intercollegiate athletics program that enhances the reputation and visibility of the University. We strive to be Florida's preeminent athletic program representing UCF and our community with distinction on the national stage as "Orlando's Hometown Team". To learn more about UCF and Athletics, please visit our websites at www.ucf.edu and www.ucfknights.com.