STANFORD, Calif. – Stanford All-American and WNBA champion Jeanette Pohlen has been added to Setsuko Ishiyama Director of Women's Basketball Kate Paye's staff as an assistant coach, Paye announced Wednesday. Pohlen moves to the bench after spending the past two seasons as Director of Player Development.
"It is a blessing to be able to welcome an alumna as accomplished as Jeanette to our coaching staff," Paye said. "She is one of the best guards to ever come through our program. She knows exactly what it takes to thrive at Stanford and succeed in the pros. Our team is extremely lucky to be able to learn from someone of her caliber and our program is fortunate to have her in this new role."
"I couldn't be more excited to coach at Stanford, which has always been a special place for me and my family" Pohlen said. "It has been a dream come true to return to my alma mater and give back to the school and the program that have provided me with so much. The women on our team are extraordinary - wonderful players, but better people. It has been so rewarding getting to know and work with them over the past few years and I'm thrilled to now be able to mentor them on the court as well."
A 2011 Stanford graduate with a degree in communication, Pohlen returned to Stanford as a coaching intern in 2021-22 before assuming the player development position she held for the last two years.
Playing for the Cardinal from 2007-11, Pohlen was the 2011 Pac-10 Player of the Year and named to the All-America teams of the Associated Press (first team), USBWA and Wooden Award after averaging 14.5 points, 3.2 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game as a senior. She shot 41.7 percent from behind the arc and made what was then a school-record 96 3-pointers.
The Cardinal went to four straight Final Fours during Pohlen's collegiate career, including runner-up finishes in the NCAA Tournament in 2008 and 2010. Overall, Stanford was 137-14 in her four years and dominated the conference, winning the Pac-10 regular-season and tournament titles all four years.
A three-time all-conference performer, she was selected with the ninth overall pick in the 2011 WNBA Draft by the Indiana Fever. Pohlen played in 148 career games for the franchise, winning a WNBA title in 2012.
Pohlen's name is littered throughout Stanford's record book. She's third in school history in games (150) and minutes played (4,355), fourth in 3-pointers (268), sixth in assists (560), ninth in free throw percentage (.813) and 21st in points (1,453).