New Arizona Women’s Basketball coach Becky Burke may be new to the whole “Bear Down, Baby!” thing, but she has found someone who knows a whole lot about it to join her staff. Per multiple reports, including Greg Hansen of the Arizona Daily Star, and Javier Morales of AllSportsTucson.com, Julie Brase-Hairgrove, the granddaughter of legendary basketball coach Lute Olson, is joining Becky Burke’s inaugural staff.
Brase-Hairgrove spent 18 years coaching in the WNBA, all with the Phoenix Mercury. She began her professional coaching career in 2005, and helped lead the Mercury to all three of its titles. She parted ways with the franchise in 2022, and has been working for Long Realty as a realtor in Tucson for the past three years.
Prior to that, she spent two seasons at Loyola Marymount, helping lead the Lions to a WCC Championship in 2004.
Brase-Hairgrove not only has coaching experience at both the professional and collegiate level, she understands the importance of basketball to the Tucson community, because she grew up and lived it every day. The Tucson native played for Catalina Foothills High School, where she was the 1997 Arizona Player of the Year, leading the program to a state championship and 31-2 season. From there, she went on the play for the University of Arizona under coach Joan Bonvicini, and was a two-time team captain. The Wildcats made the NCAA Tournament three times during her career.
In addition to Julie Brase-Hairgrove joining the staff, former Buffalo assistant coach James Ewing is also expected to reunite with Becky Burke in Tucson, after she posted a photo of him in Arizona gear on Instagram Wednesday morning. The program has not officially announced the hiring of either coach yet.