Courtney Locke, a former standout collegiate athlete, reclaimed her role as an assistant coach with the UCF women[apos]s basketball program in 2012-13 after one-year stint at UC Santa Barbara. The 2013-14 campaign will mark her second season back with the team and her fifth overall with the Knights.
In the Knights[apos] final season as a member of Conference USA in 2012-13, Locke helped lead the program on a magical run through the conference tournament. UCF advanced to its third title game in five years thanks to victories over Houston, regular season champion and No. 1 seed SMU and defending tournament champion UTEP.
Throughout the year, UCF ended an 0-44 streak against SEC opponents with a win over Mississippi State, snapped the nation[apos]s ninth-longest home-win streak at Florida Gulf Coast and saw Briahanna Jackson earn C-USA Freshman of the Year honors after breaking the school record for steals in a single season.
Locke spent 2011-12 at UCSB as the recruiting coordinator and one of the inaugural coaches on Carlene Mitchell[apos]s staff, helping the Gauchos to the 2012 Big West Tournament title.
From 2008-11, Locke was responsible for working with UCF[apos]s perimeter players and assisting with recruiting and scouting. She was a part of both C-USA Championship squads that advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 2009 and 2001 and was instrumental in the development of starting guards Angelica Mealing, Aisha Patrick and Chelsie Wiley. In July 2010, she was promoted to the program[apos]s recruiting coordinator.
Locke came to Orlando after spending two seasons as an assistant coach at the University of Texas-San Antonio. While at UTSA, Locke helped guide the Roadrunners to their most successful season in school history in 2007-08. UTSA posted a 23-10 record, claimed its first Southland Conference Tournament Championship and made the first NCAA Tournament appearance in the 27-year history of the program.
Locke served as the Roadrunners[apos] recruiting coordinator and camp director. She also was in charge of opponent scouting and the development of the team[apos]s perimeter players. Under her direction, junior guard Monica Gibbs was an All-Southland Conference First-Team selection in 2008.
In her playing days, Locke was a four-year letterwinner at Rutgers from 2002-06. As a player with the Scarlet Knights, Locke had the opportunity to learn from one of the nation[apos]s best coaches, C. Vivian Stringer.
Locke played in 126 games with 26 starts at the guard position at Rutgers. As a senior, Locke started five games and knocked down 39.4 percent of her 3-point attempts as Rutgers compiled a record of 27-5 overall and 16-0 in BIG EAST play.
While Locke was at Rutgers, the Scarlet Knights advanced to four NCAA Tournaments, making the Elite Eight in 2005 and the Sweet Sixteen in 2006. Rutgers twice won the BIG EAST regular-season title with Locke on the squad, and the team[apos]s record during her collegiate career was a combined 97-32 (.752), including a 53-11 (.828) mark in league play.
Locke graduated in May 2006 with a bachelor[apos]s degree in exercise science and sports studies.