Staff Directory

Grace Daniels

Title:
Assistant Coach
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Grace Daniels returns to Troy for her third season in 2026-27, looking to build on two postseason appearances in her first two years.

In 2025-26, Daniels helped elevate Troy’s play from beyond the arc. Primarily coaching the guards, Daniels guided Emani Jenkins to an All-Sun Belt Third Team selection. Jenkins led the Sun Belt in 3-pointers made (94), 3-pointers per game (2.85) and 3-point percentage (40.2 percent). Her 94 3-pointers also shattered Troy’s single-season record, while her 40.2 percent shooting from deep ranked fourth in Division I and fifth-best in program history. Jenkins also concluded her Troy career with the best Division I 3-point percentage in program history at 38.4 percent on 161 made 3-pointers, the fifth-most in Troy history.

Daniels’ guards helped Troy lead the Sun Belt in assists at 15.8 per game. Another senior, Ashley Baez, ranked eighth in the conference with 3.5 assists per game. Overall, Daniels helped guide Troy to a 25-8,13-5 record, earning the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament, which led to a runner-up finish to James Madison in her first-ever title game appearance and the program’s first WBIT berth.

The first season for Daniels at Troy was nothing short of memorable as her coaching of the guard position saw Shaulana Wagner claim the first-ever triple-double in program history with 12 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds against Memphis. Year one saw her help Troy to become the 41^st Great Alaska Shootout champions, defeat Arkansas for the fourth-ever victory over a Power-4 program in the team’s history and claim the No. 3 seed for the SBC Tournament with a 24-14, 13-5 SBC record as they battled to the semifinals before losing to the eventual tournament champions Arkansas State. She also boosted Troy to its first National Championship game appearance in the WNIT after routing Chattanooga, North Texas, North Dakota State and Illinois State. Daniels was five points away, 88-84, from being the champs as the Trojans fell to Buffalo to finish runner-up.

Daniels comes from Houston Christian University, where she held the assistant coach and recruiting coordinator position from 2023-24. In her lone season, the Huskies were in rebuild mode with a 6-23 record but included wins over Wichita State and McNeese State. Off the court, Daniels was a natural with her student-athletes, leading HCU to 18^th nationally in team GPA for Division-I women’s basketball. The Texas native continued HCU’s success in the classroom as she brought the program’s sixth straight WBCA Academic Top-25 ranking – ranked in 11 of the past 12 seasons.

Before HCU, Daniels spent time within the Sun Belt Conference as a graduate assistant for ULM from 2021-23. Under head coach Brooks Donald Williams, she assisted in basketball operations, player/skill development and recruitment while she oversaw the scout team and film setup. Daniel also liaised for strength and conditioning, return-to-play rehabilitation, and planned mental health activities.

On the court in Monroe, Daniels helped the Warhawks to rank 11^th in the nation for blocks with 5.2 and 23^rd for rebounds at 41.5. She coached Kyren Whittington in her two-year tenure, which saw an All-Sun Belt Third Team selection in 2021-22 on 15.8 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.5 assists – ranked fifth in the SBC in scoring. Emma Merriweather was another SBC specialty she coached, earning Sun Belt Conference Defensive Player of the Year and All-Sun Belt Third Team.

Outside of NCAA coaching, Daniels also served as a volunteer AAU coach for the Arlington Swoosh in the summer of 2021 and as a Driven Elite Pro Day Intern Coach through 2023.

As a player, Daniels earned District 14-5A Offensive MVP twice and team MVP three times. She also broke her high school’s records for most points in a game twice, with 34 and 52, while holding the single-season scoring and steals record. Daniel’s performance allowed her to bring the program to its first playoff appearance in over a decade en route to being named a McDonald’s All-American nominee, two-time All-Region Team and Fort Worth Star-Telegram Super Team member.

Her high school experience led her to Weatherford College (2017-19), where she averaged 12 points and seven rebounds to earn NJCAA Honorable Mention in conference play. After graduating with her associates of arts degree in 2019, Daniel took her talents to the University of Texas at San Antonio from 2019-2021. At UTSA, injuries took hold of Daniel, but she excelled off the court by being named to the Conference-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll and Presidents List.