Coaching Staff

NIKKI NEWMAN

• ASSISTANT COACH / RECRUITING COORDINATOR

• SECOND YEAR AT RADFORD • JAMES MADISON, ‘14

Nikki Newman enters her second season as an assistant coach for the Radford women’s basketball program after being hired on August 28, 2019.

Newman had an illustrious career with James Madison from 2009-14. She played in 147 games with 120 starts and tallied just under 4,000 minutes during her career. Newman was also a two-time Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Defensive Player of the Year (2012 & 2014) and the Scholar Athlete of the Year as a senior. She helped guide the Dukes to three CAA Tournament Championships, a WNIT Championship game, and three NCAA Tournament appearances all in 2010, 2011 and 2014.

Following her career as a JMU student-athlete, Newman served as the Assistant Director of Operations for the JMU women’s basketball team for the 2014-15 season. As the assistant she aided the Director of Operations with daily tasks such as organization of travel, distribution of money, sending recruit mailouts, database entries and coordination of practice players. • ASSISTANT COACH • RADFORD, ‘18 Jayda Worthy enters her first year as an assistant coach for Radford women’s basketball. Worthy comes to Radford from Valdosta State University in Valdosta, Ga., where she served as a graduate assistant since August 2018. Worthy has assisted in various recruiting efforts, scouting opponents, coordinated team travel, served as the academic liaison, and led all player development for the post players. As a student-athlete under the direction of Coach McGuire from 2014-18, Worthy accrued accolades like 2018 Defensive Player of the Year, First and Second Team All-Big South honors, Big South All-Freshman selection, VaSID All-State, and most recently named to the 2010-19 Big South Conference Women’s Basketball All-Decade Team. She aided Radford to a Big South Regular Season Championship in 2016-17 season, several WNIT appearances, in addition to being team captain back-to-back seasons in 2016-17 and 2017-18. Previously, Newman worked as the radio color analyst for James Madison women’s hoops beginning in the 2015-16 season. She also helped as the television color analyst for the CAA Women’s Basketball Tournament.

Newman has been an elementary school teacher and worked numerous camps, including the James Madison Women’s Basketball Camp while playing at JMU.

The Harrisonburg, Va., native received her master’s of arts in teaching in May 2014 after she earned her bachelor’s of science in elementary education in 2013, both from James Madison University.

At Radford, Newman is be the scouting coordinator, position

jayda worthy

• FIRST YEAR AT RADFORD

coach, in addition to recruiting and academics. She is in the program’s record books a total of 17 times. Worthy is ranked in the top-10 across the single-season and career records, while holding the year-by-year title for points in 2017-18 as well as assists in 2015-16.

During her time in Radford, she was very involved in the community serving as a volunteer with the Special Olympics, Micha’s Backpack, Our Daily Bread and numerous basketball camps.

Worthy graduated from Radford University in May 2018 with a bachelor’s of science in criminal justice and minor in sociology. Most recently, she obtained her master of education in higher education leadership from Valdosta State University in May 2020.

CARLIE CLARY

• DIRECTOR OF BASKETBALL OPERATIONS

• FOURTH YEAR AT RADFORD, SECOND AS DIRECTOR • RADFORD, ‘18

Carlie Clary was promoted to Director of Basketball Operations for the Radford women’s basketball program on July 3, 2019, entering her second season in this position and fourth overall.

Clary served as the Assistant Director of Basketball Operations for Radford last 2018-19. Clary has been with McGuire since 2017 where she put in time as the head manager for the 2017-18 season. She assisted the Director of Operation in all day-to-day activities, coordinated meal arrangements for all away activities for student-athletes and managed team stats for practices.

The Dublin, Va., native moved up the ranks during the 2018-19 season as the assistant director of operations. Her duties included developing internal social media strategies, recruiting mail out strategies and preparation, practice organization and film breakdown, database entry and administrative duties as assigned by Coach McGuire. Her experience in coaching ranges from Assistant Women’s Varsity Coach at Auburn High School from 2014-2016, Assistant Women’s AAU Basketball Coach at Pulaski County High School in 2014 and more.

In her time at Radford, Clary has proven to be an excellent student in the classroom and of the game of basketball. She graduated from Radford in 2018 with a degree in exercise, sport & health education as well as in communications/media Studies. She also carried a coaching education minor. Clary obtained her master’s degree in kinesiology with a concentration in sport management from LSU in March 2020.

THE PLAYERS