DeAnn Craft begins her sixth season as head coach of The University of Texas-Pan American women's basketball program.

Through five seasons with the Lady Broncs, Craft has already become the program's all-time leader in career wins after posting back-to-back record-breaking seasons in each of her first two seasons. UTPA has seen more success and won more games in the last five seasons than during any consecutive seasons in program history.

With Craft directing the future of the women's basketball program, the Lady Broncs have signed some of the most talented student-athletes to ever don the Green and Orange uniform for UTPA in each of the last five seasons.

Craft led the Lady Broncs to their second consecutive season recording an 11-18 overall record as the 2007-08 ranked as the third all-time best season in UTPA history. The Lady Broncs recorded the most home wins in program history with a 10-6 home record. She guided the women to a win in the season opener against Texas A&M-International where floor general LeKeisha Gray and newcomer Maria Ben Erlingsdottir combined for 40 points to open the season.

Notching another successful season in the books for the Lady Broncs, Craft guided the women to a blowout win over Schreiner on Dec. 1 with a final score of 91-33 where the women broke the single-game record in three-point field goals made with 16-breaking the previous record of 14 earlier in the season.

During the Flint Hills Islander Classic, both LeKeisha Gray and Rose Esther Jean earned their first piece of hardware for the season as they were both selected to the five-player all-tournament team. Jean received the accolades for her performance of a career-high 21 points on 8-14 shooting from the field and 5-of-6 from the charity stripe.

In the tournament that Craft heads every year, the sixth-year coach guided her team to the very first Battle at the Border Tournament championship title as the Lady Broncs defeated St. Louis. The Lady Broncs escaped with a 66-62 victory while collecting their seventh straight win of the season. Craft's very own LeKeisha Gray was also named tournament MVP for her efforts in two days of play.

With Craft's guidance and efforts, senior guard LeKeisha Gray earned Co-Independent Player of the Week accolades on two occasions throughout the season. During the post season, two of her Lady Broncs - Gray and Tiona Wilson - represented The University of Texas-Pan American women's basketball program on the 2007-08 NCAA Division I All-Independent Women's Basketball Team.

Gray was selected to the second team All-Independent team as she started 26 games for the Lady Broncs and scored in double-figures 17 times, breaking the 20 point barrier 20 times. Under Craft's direction, Gray ranked first in minutes amongst the Lady Broncs, seventh in steals, and ninth in points scored in a season. Gray was also one of the nation's top three-point shooters in the nation.

Wilson received honorable mention All-Independent team accolades. Wilson recorded the highest single-season three-point field goal percentage in program history.

As the season was nearing an end, seniors Cinthia Ramirez and Tiona Wilson were selected to the 2007 NCAA Division I Academic All-Independent team where Ramirez was a three-time recipient throughout her tenure with the Lady Broncs and Wilson a two-time recipient.

Giving back to the community is something the UTPA women's basketball program has always done. The UTPA Lady Broncs teamed up with the Edinburg Boys and Girls Club for the National Get Out and Play Day, which was a free clinic for children, ages 5-12.

The Lady Broncs made tremendous strides during the 2006-07 season despite finishing with an 11-18 overall record as UTPA had seven players earn post-season United Basketball League and Independent laurels. In their first season as a member of the United Basketball League, LeKeisha Gray was selected as the UBL Newcomer of the Year while Gray and Tamara Vaughn were each voted to the UBL All-Newcomer Team. MaHogany Daniel was a second team All-United Basketball League selection this past season.

Craft helped guide the Lady Broncs to some tremendous victories during this past season as the Valley's women's basketball program defeated Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Texas State - both at the UTPA Fieldhouse - while handing Centenary, McNeese State and New Jersey Institute of Technology setbacks on the rivals home court. The Lady Broncs finished with a 7-5 record on their home court and have finished with a .500 or higher home winning percentage in each of Craft's first four seasons with the program.

While some spectators might look at the 2005-06 season as a setback for the UTPA women's basketball program after a 7-21 campaign, a closer look would indicate the season was more about the development of a Lady Broncs' squad that featured 10 freshmen and sophomores on the roster.

Despite the lack of experience, Craft still guided six student-athletes to post-season All-Independent accolades in Devin Reed, Dominique Montague and Daniel who all garnered honorable mention All-Independent honors. Freshman Teshay Winfrey was selected to the Independent All-Newcomer squad while Cinthia Ramirez and Stacey Gooden each joined Reed and Montague on the Academic All-Independent squad.

Craft is a true believe in the total development of a student-athlete, and it was never more evident than when the Lady Broncs were honored with the UTPA Image Award for the second consecutive year for their community service in the Rio Grande Valley.

While the Lady Broncs improved on the court and excelled in the community, Craft's greatest accomplishment was mentoring her squad on the importance of taking care of business in the classroom. In 2005-06, the Lady Broncs took note as they had 18 Bronc Pride 3.0 Club recipients; eight UTPA Athletic Director's Honor Roll; four Academic All-Independent selection; and most importantly, Gooden ended her career as the first-ever student-athlete to be selected as Valedictorian of her graduating class at UTPA.

In her second season as head coach, Craft guided the Lady Broncs to their most successful season in program history as they reached the .500 barrier with a 14-14 record for the first time in their 20-year history.

That season, Craft directed the Lady Broncs to several memorable team and individual accomplishments and triumphs, which included a 7-4 record at the UTPA Fieldhouse as well as the capturing back-to-back road games for the first time in program history. At the top of the record books and in the NCAA rankings, the Lady Broncs were ranked in the nation's top 25 in field goal percentage allowed as opponents were only able to connect on 36.4 percent of their shots.

Craft played a major role in the post-season accolades of senior Molly Schamel as well as Montague and Tynesha Pierce. Schamel was listed as an honorable mention All-Independent selection while Montague and Pierce were each honored with both honorable mention All-Independent accolades along with Independent All-Newcomer Team laurels. At the 2004-05 Independent National Championships, Montague was selected as an All-Tournament performer.

At the UTPA Athletic Banquet at the end of the 2004-05 academic campaign, the Lady Broncs captured the UTPA Image Award for their community involvement through the course of the year, which was the first time in five years that the women's basketball program had garnered that distinction.

Craft also watched her Lady Broncs receive individual awards as Pierce was named the UTPA Female Newcomer of the Year, and Schamel was selected as the recipient of the Ann LaMantia Award, which is presented annually to a female student-athlete that has excelled in the classroom.

Under Craft's direction, UTPA finished first of second in 11 different season categories and improved by six wins from the previous season, which allowed the Lady Broncs to be selected as one of the top 30 turnaround squads among all NCAA Division I programs that season..

Craft piloted four players to All-Independent selections in Schamel, Kristi Dudley, Amanda Carlow and Dawnne Cheadle, and that total doubled the program's previous high of two student-athletes earning post-season recognition.

In addition, the Lady Broncs began the season with a perfect 4-0 record, which was the best start in program history, recording victories over the Air Force Academy and University of Dayton.

During the previous season, Craft served as the assistant coach for the Lady Broncs where she held the position as the recruiting coordinator. She was primarily in charge of UTPA's offense, and the results were staggering as the Lady Broncs finished the season shooting 39 percent from the floor, which was the second highest mark in program history. UTPA also drained a program-best 154 three-point field goals while connecting on 37 percent of their shots from behind the arc.

Prior to joining the Lady Broncs' program, Craft spent four seasons as head coach of the Lamar University women's basketball team where she guided the Cardinals to 39 wins during her four-year tenure. The Cardinals' most successful season under her direction came in 2000-01 when Lamar finished the season with a 12-16 record, including a 10-10 mark in Southland Conference action.

That season, Shawnta Vanzant became the first Cardinal player to be named Southland Conference Player of the Year, and under Craft's guidance, she became the only player in the conference to ever be invited to the Women's National Basketball Association Pre-Draft Camp. In her four seasons with the program, Craft piloted 21 student-athletes to the Southland Conference Commissioner's List.

During the 1997-98 season, Craft spent one season as the top assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at San Diego State University. In her one season under Barb Smith, the Aztecs finished with a 10-15 record en route to finishing seventh overall in the Western Athletic Conference.

In 1996, Craft moved from the ranks of collegiate coaching to the professional level where she served one season as an assistant coach for the Richmond Rage of the American Basketball League. In her one season in Richmond, the Rage advanced to the league championship, losing to Columbus in the seventh and final game of the series.

Craft spent three seasons at Cowley County Community College in Arkansas City, KS, where she accumulated a 64-31 record during her tenure. She became the first coach in Tigers' history (male or female) to win 25 games in her initial season and earned a spot in the National Junior College Athletic Association national rankings. Success found its way on the court and in the classroom for Craft's troops as CCCC was among the top three schools in the country in terms of grade point average and were nationally-ranked in two of the three seasons on the hardwood.

Prior to moving to the head coaching ranks, Craft spent four seasons at Wichita State University where she served as the top assistant coach and recruiting coordinator under Linda Hargrove, who became the Shockers' all-time leader in career victories. During the 1992-93 season, the Shockers recorded a 15-13 mark, which was the first time since the 1982-83 season that Wichita State finished above .500 at the conclusion of the season.

In 1988, Craft spent one season at Central Florida, her alma mater, as the graduate assistant coach. Before jumping to a career in coaching, Craft played two seasons at Central Florida where she averaged 20.9 points per game, which ranked her among the top 40 players in the country. A sharp-shooter from the charity stripe, Craft connected on a national-best 92.6 percent of her free throw attempts.

Craft played two seasons at Barton County Community College where she helped the Cougars to a top ten ranking in the nation. A native of Garden City, KS, Craft became the first female athlete inducted into the Garden City High School Athletic Hall of Fame.

Craft currently resides in Edinburg.