Commissioner of West Bearden Basketball League and TN Volcanoes AAU Basketball Program

Phone: 865.258.3786
Email: [email protected]

Robert is a lifelong player and teacher in the West Knoxville basketball community. With over 25 years of attending and coordinating camps and clinics across the USA he is one of the most influential basketball mentors around. Robert is constantly expanding his basketball knowledge to better equip his coaches and athletes. His dedication to studying the game of basketball allows for the WBBL to bring the most modern skills and training methods to Knoxville.

This lead admin, instructor, and highly successful coach began as a 3 year varsity basketball player at Fulton High School. Appointed as the team captain her senior year, Jen led the Falcons to the programs furthest point in post season games than any Fulton Girls team in history to that point. After graduating she took on the role as a Volunteer Assistant for 2 years at Fulton High School.

Jennifer Hayes has and continues to play an important role to the success of the WBBL. Jen now oversees and assists with the off-season development classes, preseason instruction classes, and is a WBBL coach. She has an outstanding ability to work with children of all age groups and has been one of our most successful coaches in the WBBL and City Tournament. Jennifer is also highly involved in Special Olympics of Greater Knoxville she is on the organizations board and helps run 9 local sporting events annually. As a coach she has also won 2 TSSAA Unified Track and Field State Titles. 

2nd/3rd Grade Lady Volcanoes AAU Head Coach

Growing up Graves played AAU basketball. He later played on the Bearden High School freshman team. Since graduating from high school Graves has received his associates degree and plans to continue on to radiology school.  

Graves has become an important part of the WBBL Offseason and Preseason Development classes. During the 2019-2020 rec season, Graves coached three teams for the WBBL including a 7-8 year old girls team, 13-14 year old boys team, and 15-17 year old boys team. He has a passion for coaching basketball and mentoring student athletes.

Graves will serve as the head coach for both the 2nd/3rd Lady Volcanoes AAU teams. 

2nd/3rd Grade Lady Volcanoes AAU Assistant Coach

Dustin's basketball career started in middle school, when he played for WBBL for a year. In high school Cox played in the Roane County city league for two seasons, making it to a championship both times. Cox was a leader on the floor, controlling the game and his team in assists and points. Following his championship season he was picked out of 200 kids to be the starting point guard for the City's all-star team. His team went undefeated and won by double digits every game. His senior year Cox was too old for the city league and school ball, and so began his coaching career.

Dustin started coaching the city league 8 to 9 year old girls team. His first year he took his team to the semifinals in the playoffs. The following season Cox coached the city league 15 to 18 year old boys team. He had another successful season taking his team to the championship where he lost by just one point. After that season Cox accepted a great job, got married to a wonderful woman, and now has a beautiful 1-year old daughter. 

Cox returned to coaching in 2017-2018 where he has coached in the WBBL ever since. He has been a long time assistant of Coach Cody Graves and will join him this AAU season as the assistant coach for the 2nd/3rd grade Lady Volcanoes team.

5th Grade Lady Volcanoes AAU Head Coach

Growing up Bailey was a 4-year varsity starter (2003-2007) at Bearden High School. During her 4-years as a point guard and shooting guard, Bailey was awarded All KIL (4 years), Prep Xtra 1st team and 2nd team (4 years), All District 1st team (2 years), and All District 2nd Team (2 years). Bailey was also Prep Xtra 1st in Free Throw Percentage (91.2% in 2006-2007), a Prep Xtra top in 2pt FG made (70%), and Prep Extra top in 3pt FG mad (61%). 

After graduating from BHS, Bailey went on to play at Walter's State Community College from 2007-2009. She was a starting guard both years she played. During her time at Walter's State Bailey was award All Tournament 1st Team, All Conference ('07-'08), was a major contributor to leading her team to two NJCAA conference championships ('07-'09).

Bailey then took her talent to Cumberland University from 2009-2010, where she played point guard and shooting guard for the Lady Bulldogs basketball program. She received All conference and District 1st Team awards for the '09-'10 season before a knee injury forced her to resign. 

Bailey joins the Lady Volcanoes as the Head Coach for the 5th grade girls team!

6th Grade Lady Volcanoes AAU Head Coach

Mize was a 3-year starter, 3-time conference and regional champ, and all-region player at Crystal Lake South High School (Illinois). Out of high school she committed to playing basketball at Cardinal Stritch University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. During her time as a 3-year starter, her team won 4 conference championships, which advanced them to 4 NAIA National Tournaments. During her collegiate career Mize and her team made it to the Elite 8 at the NAIA National Tournament for the first time in school history and were awarded with the all-time win record in school history that same year. Individually, she received awards for Most Improved Player, Honorary MVP, Champion of Character Award at the NAIA National Tournament, and All-Conference Academic. She graduated cum laude with her Bachelor's degree in sociology and social work.

Mize joined the WBBL coaching staff in September 2014, after relocating from Wisconsin. Since joining the WBBL she has become a lead instructor for the Offseason Development and Preseason Development classes, she was a founding coach for the TN Volcanoes AAU program back in 2016, and has served as a head coach for both boys and girls teams in the WBBL rec league.

In the Fall of 2016 Mize returned to graduate school at UT. During her time in graduate school she received the Chancellor's Honor's Award for Extraordinary Community Service and Graduate Student Service Award for the work she was doing within her department, the basketball community, and the City of Knoxville. In 20018, Mize graduated magna cum laude with her Master's degree in environmental criminology from the University of Tennessee. She has since taken on a full-time role with the WBBL overseeing marketing and communication, and recently took on a coached the #2 West Valley Middle School girl's basketball team during their 2019 Fall Ball season.

Mize will help to oversee the Lady Volcanoes AAU Basketball Program. She will serve as the head coach for the 6th grade girls team.

6th Grade Girls Lady Volcanoes Guard Skills Coach

Acho played basketball in Belleville, MI at Belleville High School. There she was a 3-year starter as a shooting Guard and a two time Regional Champion. Acho was awarded with the All-Conference player award and All Metro-Detroit player award. She also played softball (all Conf), volleyball, and golf (all Conf).

Acho attended Sienna Heights University and obtained a degree in Communications and Journalism. There she played basketball where her team made several NAIA National Tournament appearances. Kendal received the Conference Champion of Character award at the 2011-2012 NAIA National Tournament. 

Acho received her graduate degree from Marshall University and now is the Chief Operating Officer at Firstdown Playbook, where she works alongside Charlie Coiner and Mike Singletary (former football players).

Kendall will assist the 6th grade Lady Volcanoes team. She will specialize in guard development..

8th Grade Lady Volcanoes AAU Head Coach & AAU Skills Instructor

Former Lady Vol standout Nicky Anosike has joined the TN Volcanoes AAU program, and is serving as the Head Coach for the Lady Volcanoes Girl’s 8th grade teams, as well as the TN Volcanoes AAU skills instructor. 

Anosike, a four-year starter at UT from 2004-08, helped lead the Lady Vols to NCAA National Championships in 2007 and 2008, earning NCAA All-Final Four Team accolades on both occasions. In 2005, she became a World Champion with the USA U-19 Team. She also aided the Big Orange in claiming three SEC Tournament titles and one regular season crown, garnering SEC All-Freshman status in 2005. Anosike was known as a powerful player with a strong presence on the court as well as in the locker room. Her vocal leadership was instrumental in UT’s 2007 and 2008 NCAA title victories. 

Also a fantastic student, Anosike was named a CoSIDA Second-Team All-American in 2008 and earned SEC Academic Honor Roll acclaim all four years. As a senior, she was named to the SEC Community Service Team and was a finalist for the SEC’s Boyd McWhorter Scholar-Athlete Award, capping a well-rounded résumé that helped her earn distinction as the 2008 NCAA Woman of the Year.

After her college career, Anosike was drafted by the WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx in the second round with the 16th overall pick. The 6-foot-4 center was named to the 2008 WNBA All-Rookie Team, selected as a 2009 WNBA All-Star, and was awarded the First-Team WNBA All-Defense Award in 2009. She played from 2008-10 with the Lynx, in 2011 with the Washington Mystics, and in 2012 with the Los Angeles Sparks before retiring.