Florida Tech Names Ashley Raley-Ross Next Head Women’s Basketball Coach
By Space Coast Daily // April 10, 2025
Ashley Raley-Ross becomes the third head coach in program history
MELBOURNE • BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – Florida Tech Director of Athletics Jamie Joss announces the appointment of Ashley Raley-Ross as the next head coach of the Panthers women’s basketball team. Raley-Ross brings a wealth of experience from various levels of basketball, both domestically and internationally.
Raley-Ross becomes the third head coach in program history.
“We are thrilled to announce the hiring of Ashley as our head women’s basketball coach,” said Joss. “With a wealth of experience that spans coaching male and female athletes, Ashley brings a unique perspective to our program. Her extensive background and deep understanding of recruiting high academic performers at Wofford will ensure we find prospective athletes committed to the strong academic programs Florida Tech offers and looking to excel on the basketball court.
“Ashley embodies a holistic approach to coaching, demonstrating unwavering care and support for the 360-athlete experience, which includes mental, emotional, and player development. Her international coaching experience, coupled with her own journey as a player at the Division II level, equips her with invaluable insights and strategies that will elevate our program.
“Moreover, her coaching philosophy has been shaped and guided by strong, successful, and well-respected mentors both domestically and internationally. This invaluable influence has refined her approach and prepared her to inspire our athletes to reach their full potential. In a field filled with exceptional talent, Ashley’s unique blend of experience and passion makes her the ideal choice to lead our women’s basketball program into a new era of success.”
Raley-Ross joins Florida Tech after serving as an assistant coach at Wofford College since April 2022, where she helped guide the Terriers to historic success. During her tenure, Wofford compiled a combined 39-23 record, reached the Southern Conference Tournament semifinals in back-to-back seasons, and earned consecutive bids to the Women’s National Invitation Tournament (WNIT). In 2022-23, the Terriers captured their first-ever Southern Conference Regular Season Championship and recorded the program’s first 20-win season at the Division I level. The 2023-24 campaign saw Wofford set a new program record for home wins (13-2), defeat ACC foe Virginia for its first-ever win over an ACC program, and produce the team’s first triple-double in school history.
Raley-Ross also played a pivotal role in player development, mentoring SoCon Player of the Year and Academic All-American Rachael Rose, SoCon Freshman of the Year Evangelia Paulk, and several other All-Conference and All-Freshman Team honorees.
“I am thrilled and honored to accept the head coach position for the women’s basketball team at Florida Tech,” said Ross. “I extend my heartfelt thanks to President Dr. John Nicklow and Athletic Director Jamie Joss for their trust and support in this journey. I am excited to collaborate with them to build a program that not only strives for excellence on the court but also emphasizes academic success and personal growth for our student-athletes. Together, we will foster a culture of unity, integrity, hard work, and resilience. I look forward to engaging with our community and building strong relationships as we embark on this exciting new chapter.”
Prior to her time at Wofford, Raley-Ross coached internationally in Hong Kong with C2Sports. There, she served as the head coach of the U16 New Generation 2nd Division team and as an assistant coach for both the U25 Tsuen Wan 2nd Division team and the Division 2 Tsuen Wan men’s professional team. In addition to her coaching duties, she contributed as a strength and conditioning coach and worked with Tsung Tsin Primary School, aiding young students in learning both basketball and English.
Before leaving the United States, Raley-Ross served as the head women’s basketball coach at Johnson and Wales University in Charlotte, N.C. from 2019-20. Her squad tied for first place in the EMAC conference and featured two USCAA All-Americans and two players who were named EMAC Co-Player of the Year.
Raley-Ross began her coaching career with Providence Day School in Charlotte as the head girl’s junior varsity coach in 2011. Since then, she helped coach multiple high school and AAU teams in the Charlotte area before leaving the United States for the first time in 2018 to become an assistant coach for the U15 and U17 teams with ŽKK Trešnjevka 2009 in Zagreb, Croatia.
Ashley Raley-Ross earned her Bachelor of Science in Corporate Communications in 2010 from Queens University in Charlotte, where she was also a student-athlete on the women’s basketball team. She is married to her husband Brandis, who played basketball at South Carolina collegiately and currently plays professionally overseas.
Florida Tech will formally introduce the new Panthers women’s basketball head coach, Ashley Raley-Ross, at a press conference in the Clemente Center Gym at 1 p.m on Tuesday, April 15.
