North Platte – The North Platte Community College Lady Knights Basketball team has hired Ashley Bell as the new assistant basketball coach for the 2016-17 season. Bell was a volunteer assistant coach during the 2015-16 season for the Lady Knights.

Bell replaces Nolan Collins, who resigned to take an assistant coaching position with Lamar Community College.  Collins was an assistant for the Lady Knights for the past four seasons.

Lady Knights Head Coach Richard Thurin said, “She [Bell] knows what it takes to play since she has played college ball at both the junior college and four year college level. She will also help a great deal in recruiting.”

Bell, a native of Beaumont, Texas, played for the Lady Knights from 2006-08.  Bell is number two on the Lady Knights all-time scoring list with 897 points.  She also holds Lady Knights single season records in offensive rebounding (109), defensive rebounds (210), total rebounds (319), field goals made (221) and points (550) during her sophomore season. She was named to the National Junior College Athletic Association All-Region IX team both her freshman and sophomore seasons.

After her career at NPCC, Bell played for Huston-Tillotson University in Texas where she averaged 15 points per game and 12 rebounds per game.  Bell was a first-team Red River Athletic Conference selection, Huston-Tillotson most valuable player and was a nominee for national player of the week during her senior season.

Bell graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English with a minor in education in 2010.

“I feel very blessed and honored that Coach Thurin allowed me to come back to the program as a coach. This college started my collegiate basketball career,” Bell said. “NPCC was the foundation to my successful collegiate career and I’m happy to be back to share my wisdom and knowledge of basketball to the ladies of the program.”