shirley duncan

Coach Shirley Duncan (1983-2005) coached nine All-Americans, earned four trips to the NCAA Division II tournament, and is the winningest basketball coach in Longwood University history.  Before college coaching, the Lexington Kentucky native and UK graduate taught and coached in Northern Virginia.  She headed back to the Bluegrass State to lead Eastern Kentucky for four years where she won a state title and faced off against a young Tennessee coach in the late Pat Summitt.      

Longwood assistant women’s basketball coach Loretta Coughlin talks about Cassie Ensley from recruitment to graduation in this special 20-minute podcast.  Coughlin assisted Head Coach Shirley Duncan from 1985-1998, served as Softball Head Coach from 1986-1995, and taught 20 years at Longwood in the Department of Kinesiology.   She retired from Albemarle County Public Schools in June 2022 after a 17-year teaching career.  Listen to a related Lancers Past podcast, a 40-minute interview with Cassandra Ensley Storer.

After sitting out for most of two seasons, Cassie Ensley took full advantage of her fifth year.  Now known as Cassandra Ensley Storer, the 5-6 guard made history in 1995 as the first Longwood women’s basketball team to play in the NCAA Division II tournament.  After dropping 464 points in her final season, she ranks #8 in career scoring, #2 in made 3PTs, and #5 in assists.  Cassandra was named Honorable Mention All-American and First Team Academic All-American.  She teaches foreign languages in the Fairfax County Public Schools. Listen to a bonus episode! Loretta Coughlin shares her insight on Cassie from recruitment to graduation in a special 20-minute Lancers Past Podcast. 

This episode is part of a series celebrating Lancer/Willett Hall. The new Joan Perry Brock Center replaces Willett as LU’s basketball home in the fall of 2023.