CHARLESTON - Charleston Southern women's basketball head coach Tim Hays has announced the hiring of Leah Church as an assistant coach.

Church is the second addition to Coach Hays' staff at CSU.

"We are so excited to add Leah to our coaching staff at CSU," said Coach Hays. "She is a former Tar Heel and Carolina Native who has accomplished some incredible things! She was one of the top 3-point shooters in the ACC, has a world record for 3's in a minute and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame for winning the National Hoop Shoot Free Throw Contest… needless to say she will be a huge asset on the floor mentoring our guards and helping them build an elite skill set. More impressively, however, is her unwavering faith and commitment to serving Jesus Christ. She will be a wonderful representative of our culture of faith and will make a positive impact on every life she comes into contact with."

Church joins the CSU staff following several years of experience in basketball training, player development, and coaching while also building a national platform as a motivational speaker and author.

A native of North Carolina, Church brings a strong background in skill development and player mentorship. From 2021-25, she worked as a basketball trainer in Wilkesboro, North Carolina, focusing on shooting mechanics, player development, and team instruction. During that time, she trained multiple athletes who advanced to the Division I level and co-hosted camps alongside NBA skills trainer Ryan Goodson in 2022.

Church also gained coaching experience as an assistant coach at West Wilkes High School during the 2021-22 season, where she designed practice plans, led skill-based drills, assisted with scouting, and mentored student-athletes.

In addition to her basketball experience, Church has become a nationally recognized motivational speaker and published author. Since 2022, she has traveled across the country sharing her faith-driven testimony to audiences as large as 15,000 people, including appearances at the Billy Graham Library. She is also the author of her autobiography, Long Shot.

As a player, Church competed at the Division I level at North Carolina from 2017-20. During her time with the Tar Heels, she led the team in three-point field goal percentage and charges drawn while competing in the ACC. She also contributed to team basketball camps and devotionals during her collegiate career.

Following her time at UNC, Church continued her collegiate career at Union University while pursuing graduate studies in Christian Studies.

"I'm incredibly grateful to Coach Hays for the opportunity to join the staff at Charleston Southern University," said Church. "From the beginning, it was clear how special CSU is because of its strong foundation in Christ and the vision being built within the program. I'm excited for the opportunity to combine my love for Jesus and the game of basketball while competing at a high level and helping push this program forward. I can't wait to get to work and see what's in store for Buc Nation."

Church earned her bachelor's degree in Exercise and Sport Science with a concentration in Sport Administration and a minor in Coaching from North Carolina in 2020, graduating with Highest Distinction and a 3.87 GPA.

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