SALT LAKE CITY – Westminster women's basketball head coach Shelley Jarrard announced that Elaine Elliott will be joining the coaching staff. Elliott will join Westminster after retiring as the head coach at the University of Utah and taking a one-year leave of absence.

“Words cannot express how excited I am that Elaine Elliott has decided to join me and the Westminster women's basketball staff,” Jarrard said about adding Elliott. “She will create an immediate and positive impact on our team and college. Elaine will bring her excellent wealth of experience and knowledge for the game, which will greatly benefit our program. I am honored that she has decided to join me at Westminster and return to the game of basketball. I have a great deal of respect for Elaine and I am really looking forward to working with her again.”

Elliott coached at Utah for 31 years--from 1980-2010--the last 27 years as the head coach. The winningest coach in Mountain West Conference history, Elliott compiled a 582-234 (.713) record at the U. in her career, and is one of just 19 women's basketball coaches ever to produce 20 20-win seasons.

Elliott's teams won 15 conference championships and made 19 postseason appearances. They qualified for the NCAA Tournament 15 times and twice made the Sweet 16 with the 2006 squad making the Elite Eight. Elliott was named the 2001 John and Nellie Wooden National Coach of the Year wand was the MWC Coach of the Year four times. Under Elliott, 17 players received All-American honors and four were drafted into the WNBA.

This addition will reunite Jarrard and Elliott on the sidelines. Jarrard spent 11 years as an assistant coach to Elliott at Utah from 1993-2004. During that time, Utah appeared in seven NCAA Tournaments including its first ever appearance in the Sweet 16. The Utes won eight conference championships and three conference tournament championships.