The Graf File

Personal Information
Birthday	June 11
Hometown	Loranger, La.
Education	Northwestern State, 2000 (Bachelor's) Northwestern State, 2002 (Master's)
Playing Career	Northwestern State, 1996-2000

Coaching History
2013-Pres.	Troy - Associate Head Coach
2012-13	Troy - Assistant Coach
2004-12	Northwestern State - Head Coach
2002-04	Northwestern State - Assistant Coach
2000-02	Northwestern State - Graduate Assistant Coach

Jennifer Graf heads into her 14th season at Troy in 2025-26 and 13th as the associate head coach after being elevated to that position in 2013-14.

In her 13 seasons paired alongside Chanda Rigby, Graf has helped guide the Trojans to five Sun Belt Championships and nine postseason berths, including three NCAA Tournament appearances and back-to-back WNIT Fab 4 runs (runner-up in 2024-25). Graf aided the Trojans in the first three-peat in the Sun Belt Conference after winning the Sun Belt Regular Season title for a second time during the 2021-22 campaign.

For the eighth straight season, Graf brought the Trojans to the No. 1 spot in the nation for rebounding at 49.1. She also coached one of the most dominant seasons in Troy history via All-Sun Belt First Team, WNIT All-Tournament Team, Great Alaska Shootout All-Tournament Team and back-to-back Sun Belt Player of the Week selection Zay Dyer. Dyer led the Sun Belt Conference in double-doubles (18) and rebounds per game (10.4) en route to being the only league player to average a double-double – she also coached Fortuna Ngnawo and Brianna Jackson to the No. 4 (7.7) and 10 (7.3) ranking, respectively, for rebounding in the conference. Her coaching efforts brought Dyer to the single-season record for total rebounds (395). With Rigby, she helped bring the Trojans to the WNIT championship game with a historic run over Chattanooga, North Texas, North Dakota State and Illinois State, falling to Buffalo 88-84.

2023-24 saw Graf’s emphasis of the post position peak as she coached the nation’s leading team for rebounds for the seventh straight season at 47.88, beating out LSU and ranking eighth in defensive (30.8) and second in offensive (17.1). Two of the three All-Sun Belt members for the Trojans came from post players Tai’Sheka Porchia (first) and Ja’Mia Hollings (second). She reaped the sowings of recruiting Hollings to the program as she progressed to become the 26^th player in program history to score over 1,000 points, netting the ninth-most points in a Troy D-I single season (536) and earned the team’s lone WNIT All-Tournament Team nod – averaged 22.8 points, 12 rebounds, 1.0 steal and 1.5 blocks in historic Fab 4 run.

In 2022-23, Graf coached the Sun Belt Preseason Player of the Year, Felmas Koranga, before heading the development of two All-Sun Belt Third Team members, Tai'Sheka Porchia and Ja'Mia Hollings. They combined for back-to-back Sun Belt Player of the Week and NCAA Starting Five of the Week. Porchia became the leader in the SBC in field goal percentage as the only player with above 50 percent (50.3).

As the primary accomplice for Chanda Rigby, Graf boosted the Trojans to the No. 4 seed in the Sun Belt Tournament, ranking first in the league for scoring, rebounding, steals and offensive rebounds. Her work with the forwards led to Troy's national ranking of 18^th in rebounding margin at plus-7.9 while posting 22 double-doubles.

Graf, who works primarily with the forwards, has been vital in creating a championship culture within the Troy women's basketball program. During her time at Troy, Graf has helped lead the Trojans to three Sun Belt Tournament Championships ('16, '17, '21) as well as a pair of Sun Belt Regular Season crowns while also earning trips to three NCAA Tournaments, two trips to the WNIT and the WBI postseason tournaments. Graf's work with the forwards has been instrumental in Troy being the nation's leader in rebounds each of the last eight seasons (2016-2024) while finishing inside the top five over the previous nine years.

Since Graf's first season in 2012-13, she has helped guide numerous student-athletes to 25 All-Sun Belt honors, including nine first-team honors. Graf was instrumental in the development of forwards Sky'Lynn Holmes, who earned the SBC Newcomer of the Year (2017-18) and Defensive Player of the Year (2018-19), and Caitlyn Ramirez, who was a two-time all-conference honoree and the 2017 SBC Tournament MVP. Graf also helped Ronita Garrett to a then Troy-record 21 double-doubles in 2014-15, a mark that led the Sun Belt and ranked eighth in NCAA. During the 2020-21 season, Graf guided Felmas Koranga to SBC Newcomer of the Year honors and Alexus Dye to be the nation's double-doubles leader (23) while also becoming the first Trojan ever to be named the Sun Belt Player of the Year. Dye was also named the Sun Belt Tournament MVP. Koranga followed her Newcomer of the Year performance in 2020-21 with All-Sun Belt First Team honors in 2021-22.

During Graf's tenure at Troy, the Trojans have consistently ranked at or near the top in numerous statistical categories. Between 2017-24, Troy led the nation in rebounds per game while leading the country in every rebounding category during the 2019-20 and 2021-22 seasons. On top of being the nation's best rebounding team, Troy has also been one of the best at scoring points, finishing in the top 10 every season since 2015-16 and no lower than 16 since the 2013-14 season. Since her first season in 2012-13, Troy has led the Sun Belt in scoring average per game. In 2020-21, Troy had its best offensive season since the 1992-93 season when they averaged 86.0 ppg, the third-best average in the NCAA. Troy's momentum has continued to excel as the Trojans led the nation in defensive rebounds per game (31.9), free throws made (563), offensive rebounds per game (19.0) and rebounds per game (50.94).

Graf starred at Northwestern State University as both a player and coach. Graf was named the Lady Demons' head coach on Sept. 1, 2004, becoming the youngest NCAA Division I head coach at the time at the age of 26. In her eight seasons at the helm of the Northwestern State program, Graf posted a 106-131 career record, giving her the third most wins in program history. She coached 19 All-Southland selections and 15 All-Louisiana selections, including two Southland Conference Freshmen of the Year.

As a player, Graf played in 110 games for Northwestern State, winning 74 while winning the Southland Conference Championship and making a WNIT appearance during her junior year. She was an all-conference selection in her senior season, a three-time Academic All-Southland Conference selection, and won the Fellowship of Christian Athletes "Lady Demon of the Year" award as a senior.

A native of Loranger, La., Graf led Loranger High School to a state championship her senior season and was named the Louisiana Class 2A Most Valuable Player under the direction of Chanda Rigby.

Graf earned her bachelor's degree in health and physical education from Northwestern State University in 2000. She received her master's of education in sports administration from Northwestern State in 2002.