GREENVILLE, S.C. ? Furman women’s basketball head coach Sam Dixon (above) recently announced the hiring of Crystal Weaver as an assistant coach for the 2008-2009 season.

“We are very excited to have Crystal as part of our program,” said Dixon. “She was an excellent player and has been involved with many good programs. She brings a lot of energy and knowledge and will be a key resource for our program, staff and players.”

Weaver joins the Paladin staff after a year as a graduate assistant at Western Michigan University, where she earned her masters degree in Educational Leadership.

A 2005 graduate of Marquette University, Weaver was a four-year letterwinner for the Golden Eagles. As a senior, Weaver led her team to an NCAA tournament appearance, where they defeated Old Dominion 67-64 in the first round before falling to No. 1 seeded Duke 76-67 in the round of 32.

Weaver played high school ball at East Kentwood, where she led her team to an undefeated regular season as a senior and averaged 18 points, 12 rebounds, 6.6 assists and 3 steals per game.