September 11, 2020
Memphis Grizzlies hire MIT women’s basketball head coach Sonia Raman as assistant
Sonia Raman replaces Niele Ivey on the Grizzlies' coaching staff
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The Memphis Grizzlies have hired MIT women’s basketball head coach Sonia Raman as an assistant coach, the team announced Friday. Raman replaces Niele Ivey, who was named head coach of the women’s basketball team at the University of Notre Dame in April.
The move makes Raman the second female assistant coach in Grizzlies history, and the 10th female assistant coach currently serving in the NBA.
“We are beyond excited to welcome Sonia to the Memphis Grizzlies,” said Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins in the team statement. “She has a high basketball IQ and a tremendous ability to teach the game, as well as a strong passion for the game. She is going to be a great addition to our current coaching staff.”
Raman joins Memphis following 12 seasons as head coach of the MIT women’s basketball team, where she led the team to the program’s first two New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference championships (2018, 2019) and the championship game in 2020. Under Raman, the team also qualified for the NCAA tournament twice and compiled a 91-45 record (.669) in her final five seasons in charge.
“I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to be part of the Memphis Grizzlies coaching staff. I can’t wait to get to Memphis and get started with Taylor, his staff, and the team’s emerging young core,” Raman said in the release.
This season, the Grizzlies came up just short of making the playoffs, losing a play-in tournament game to the Portland Trail Blazers for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. Now, Jenkins, Raman, and co. will be looking toward the 2020-21 NBA campaign, which reportedly won’t begin until after Christmas Day.
