BATON ROUGE — Christie Sides, a Baton Rouge native, joins the LSU Lady Tigers basketball coaching staff as an assistant coach, it was announced Thursday by head coach Pokey Chatman.
Sides comes to LSU after spending the past two seasons on the Louisiana Tech coaching staff, the first as administrative assistant and this past season as assistant coach. During her time there, Tech posted a 60-6 overall record and a 35-1 mark in the Western Athletic Conference.
“Christie is a perfect addition to our staff,” Chatman said. “She enhances every facet of the program. She is young, energetic, a product of Baton Rouge and has that winning mentality.”
Sides, a graduate of Central Private High School, responsibilities will include recruiting, assisting in all areas of Lady Tiger Basketball Camp, on-court coaching, working primarily with the perimeter players, and fundraising.
“I am truly excited about coming home to coach at a great university,” Sides said. “LSU is a great program surrounded by good people. Louisiana Tech treated me well, but to have this opportunity to come home is a dream come true.”
She joins current assistant coaches Bob Starkey and Carla Berry on Chatman’s staff. Chatman was named head coach of the program in April following the retirement of 22-year head coach Sue Gunter. Chatman and her staff led LSU to the program’s first NCAA Final Four appearance this past season in the absence of Gunter who was sidelined due to illness.
Prior to her years at Louisiana Tech, Sides spent two seasons as the head junior varsity coach and assistant varsity coach at Ruston (La.) High School where she served under Ricky Durrett. While at Ruston High, Sides helped guide the Lady Bearcats to consecutive state playoff appearances, including a 31-10 record in 2000-01 and a berth in the Louisiana High School Athletic Association Sweet 16 Tournament. During the 2001-02 season, Ruston High posted a 23-11 mark and advanced to the regionals of the LHSAA girls state playoffs.
Sides played her first two collegiate seasons at Ole Miss for Hall of Fame coach Van Chancellor and helped the Rebels to a 34-22 overall record. She then transferred to Louisiana Tech where she finished her playing career for fellow Hall of Fame coach Leon Barmore. Sides helped the Lady Techsters to a 61-6 record in two seasons, including a trip to the 1999 Final Four. She holds the career record at Tech for three-point field goal percentage and ranks seventh in three-pointers made and eighth in three-pointer attempted.
Prior to her collegiate playing career Sides led Central Private High School to the state championship her senior season while earning the Louisiana Gatorade Player of the Year award and all-state honors. She ended her high school playing career ranked No. 1 in school history with 3,375 points.
Sides earned her bachelor’s degree in health and physical education from Tech in 2000.