Q&A with Assistant Women's Basketball Coach, Chandler Merkerson
Tell us about your family.
I come from a small family in Miami, Florida. I have one sibling, an older sister and a 6 year old niece. My mom is a teacher and has been in the education field for almost 30 years now. My dad is also a retired teacher and owns his own auto business. My sister does police dispatch for the Broward County Sheriff's office. We are a family that enjoys eating and shopping.
Tell us about your college experience.
My college experience was amazing. I attended the University of North Florida and played basketball there for 4 years. While my playing career was riddled with knee injuries, I enjoyed my teammates and coaches and the school itself. I had 3 knee surgeries while playing college basketball. While it was rough to go through, I consider it a blessing in disguise because it led me to my passion for coaching. I had a lot of time to study the game and learn from my coaches and it became something I really enjoyed, being on the sidelines. I also enjoyed studying Sport Management and getting the opportunity to work with the Jacksonville Jaguars organization during my time. I created lifelong memories and friendships there. I wouldn't trade my college experience for anything in the world.
Tell us about your hobbies.
I enjoy doing anything outdoors. I love spending time on lakes, kayaking or just lounging around in my hammock. My other hobbies include working out and running. I love fitness or any type of competition based training. In my downtime, I enjoy reading and painting. One thing that has become a favorite is trying all the amazing restaurants here in Birmingham.
Where's your favorite travel spot and why?
My favorite spot to vacation is back at home in Miami, FL. As a college coach, we only get to go home maybe twice a year, so it's always good to get away and spend time with my family. On the rare occasion that we get other vacation time, I love going to New Orleans to eat some good Cajun food or Pensacola Beach where I also have family.
What was your dream job as a kid?
My dream job as a kid was to be a pediatrician. The older I got, the more I realized science just isn't my thing. I became way more interested in basketball and business than biology and anatomy.
During the offseason, what's your favorite thing to do to rest and reboot?
During the offseason, my favorite thing to do to rest and reboot is to take a trip to the beach and spend the entire day outside reading a book of some sort. Outside of that, I just do absolutely nothing for a few days (HAHA). Life during the season can be strenuous. There is always something to do and we are always moving onto the next task. So, the moment I can do nothing, I take full advantage of it.
What are some of your main roles and responsibilities within the women's basketball program?
My main roles within the women's basketball program include recruiting, scouting opponents, academics and coordinating team travel.
We understand that you and Coach Kuhns coached together at Valdosta State. Tell us about that relationship and how it's grown over the years.
Coach Kuhns is just an amazing individual that I look up to as a coach, person, and mom. She and I just have a natural chemistry that has existed since my first interview with her. I knew immediately that she was someone I wanted to work for and learn from. Not only is she a brilliant basketball coach but I don't think I have ever met a more genuine, caring, and humble individual. We have gone through some of the toughest situations as coaches together and that has made our relationship grow tremendously. I think we are different but we compliment each other very well and push each other beyond our comfort zones. She has become my family and she has guaranteed me a lifetime contract so we're stuck together forever!!
What has the jump been like transitioning from Division II school at Valdosta State to Division I at Samford?
The jump from Division II to Division I hasn't been much different for me. Valdosta State was run like a Division I program which has made the transition pretty smooth. My duties are exactly the same as they were at VSU, except I don't have to teach any classes (Thank God). The biggest difference between my former job and the job here is working with a staff of 4 people instead of just 3. I enjoy building relationships with other staff members and having them around to grow and learn from.
With the success of last season, how do you replace the production from the 8 seniors who graduated to keep that momentum going strong this season?
We return our leading scorer and the MVP of the conference tournament in Natalie Armstrong so that helps a lot. She was a major contributor for us who knows what it takes to win and is holding her teammates accountable to get us there. We also return Raven Omar, who was a great spark for us off the bench last year and another kid that knows what it takes to win. They went through the entire process with us and they are challenging the new kids to buy-in. The momentum is still there. Our girls are extremely excited about getting to compete this year after COVID ended our post season run. They enjoy playing with and for each other and that helps a lot. Some of them know how good it feels to win a championship and they are eager to be cutting nets again in Asheville this year. We are going to work hard to be better everyday, put good product on the floor, and take it one game at a time.
Who are some of the new faces fans should be looking out for?
We have new faces within the program that are ready to step up and fill in the shoes of our seniors from last year. We have 2 transfers, Andrea Cournoyer (Lafayette) and Annie Ramil (Binghamton) that will play significant minutes for us. Andrea is a dynamic scorer that can score at three levels and is extremely fast and crafty. Annie is a tough-nosed, hard working kid that does all the little things that makes teams great. We also have a freshman, Mallory Hampton, that will play some good minutes for us and bring solid production as a young guard.
Congrats on very impressive performances at both Alabama and Auburn at the start of the season. Tell us some of your takeaways from those two road games.
Our team fought hard in both games. That is what we expect our kids to go in and do every single night. We will compete with every team the same way regardless of the level. The team showed that we have fight in us and we can play with anybody in the country when we show up and compete. We know the process is ugly and it's not fun to play extremely well and not walk out with a win, but we are committed to the process that it takes to become winners. We started the year very similar last year and we ended up on top. We schedule tough non-confernce games to prepare for conference and it will pay off in the end.
Final Message from Coach Merkerson:
"I want to personally thank each and every one of you for your contributions to our program. The support doesn't go unnoticed and we appreciate it more than we could ever express. Your continued support has aided in the very best experience for our young ladies and that is most important to us. We couldn't give them this amazing opportunity at this great institution without you. I hope we continue to make you proud this year!!"
