Two former University of Wisconsin-Whitewater women's basketball graduate assistants are experiencing a high level of success in the coaching profession, and their recent ties to the Warhawks have helped aid them on their respective paths.
 
While their journeys to their current positions are different, Tiffany Morton and Erin McKinney share the common bond of being a member of the Warhawks' coaching staff and earning a master of science in education in professional development from UW-Whitewater.
 
Morton served as graduate assistant coach from 2010-12 and was followed in the position by McKinney, who left Whitewater last spring after two seasons on staff. Morton is currently an assistant coach at Division I Wagner (N.Y.) College, while McKinney was recently hired as video coordinator at Indiana University.
 
Along the way, Morton made stops at Division II University of Montevallo (Ala.) and Louisiana State University, while McKinney held a brief internship with the WNBA's Seattle Storm.
 
While Morton and McKinney have each traveled great distances since their time at UW-Whitewater, each coach cherishes their time with the Warhawks, who have won four Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference titles in the last seven years and have reached the NCAA Division III Tournament in each of the last seven seasons.
 
Morton Leaves Legacy as Player and Coach
 
After attending both Alabama A&M and UW-Milwaukee, Morton decided a change was needed. She did not play basketball at Alabama A&M, but appeared in seven games for the Panthers in 2005-06.
 
Not interested in sitting out a season at another Division I institution due to transfer rules, Morton looked to the Division III level to continue her playing career. Her sister, Nikia, had recently graduated from UW-Whitewater, so she decided to contact head coach Keri Carollo about playing for the Warhawks.
 
"It was important to me that I'd be somewhere I was happy," said Morton, a 2004 Beloit Memorial High School graduate. "I really hit it off with Coach Carollo … she is a genuine, great person."
 
Morton joined the program and went on to score 1,215 points – the fifth-most in program history – during her standout, three-year career. A two-time All-American and two-time first team All-WIAC selection, Morton also ranks fourth in rebounding and seventh in blocked shots all time.
 
Morton helped lead the Warhawks back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1995 and started the program's run of seven straight NCAA appearances. UW-Whitewater placed third in the nation in 2008 and reached the second round in 2009.
 
After earning her bachelor's in psychology with a coaching minor in 2009, Morton nearly played in Europe, but didn't receive her visa in time. She returned home and played for the semi-professional Rock County Robins before getting a call from Carollo, who offered Morton the GA position.
 
"I had always wanted to coach because I love the game so much and I always wanted to be around the sport," Morton said. "It was time for me to give back to the sport that gave so much to me."
 
During her two years on staff, the Warhawks finished with a combined record of 43-14 (.754 winning percentage) and reached the NCAA Tournament twice.
 
Morton noted that Carollo, as well as assistant coaches Amy Zelinger and Joe Carollo, always had Morton's best interests at heart in her development as a young coach.
 
"I learned that you have to be who you are, and the rest of the staff allowed me to be me, for better and worse," Morton said. "You don't have try and be a player's best friend, but you don't have to be a dictator. Coach Carollo is genuine and real … I try to be genuine with my kids, on and off the court, and show them who I am.
 
"For (student-athletes), it's about so much more than earning a degree. It's an experience you cherish for the rest of your life."
 
After a one-year stop as an assistant coach at Montevallo, Morton remained in the southeast for one more year as a graduate assistant at LSU, where she helped lead the Tigers to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 in 2013-14.
 
Morton spoke highly of her experience on the LSU staff, one she calls "one of the best in the country."
 
"It was a year of so much growth," Morton said. "The staff allowed me to be a part of every facet of the program. One of the first things (head coach) Nikki (Caldwell) said when I arrived on campus was 'you're not working for me, you're working with me.' I tried to be a sponge and take in as much as I could … they gave me a completely new outlook on coaching."
 
Following the season, Morton sat down with Caldwell and said she would be looking for a new position, but would only take it if it was the right fit.
 
Morton applied for the open position at Wagner and, after flying to Staten Island, N.Y., for her interview, decided to make the move to the East Coast.
 
She said her constant movement has helped her in her career and will continue to be a benefit in the future.
 
"I can adapt anywhere I go, and I try to be 100 percent 'in' everywhere I go," Morton said. "I'm thankful for all the opportunities and just take them one day at a time. I want to make sure they have nothing but good things to say about me when I leave."
 
McKinney Brushes Off Injury, Dives Into Coaching
 
Unlike Morton, McKinney earned her coaching stripes not on the court, but in the film room and on the practice floor as a member of the Hendrix (Ark.) College women's basketball program.
 
Continuously plagued by knee injuries during her undergraduate career, McKinney, who estimates she played in three games during her four-year career, remained on the roster but served the program off the court as an assistant coach.
 
"The coaching staff asked if I wanted to watch film and help with scouting reports," McKinney said. "I enjoyed it, and it came naturally to me."
 
During McKinney's four years as a student assistant, the Warriors won two Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference West Division titles and posted a 20-5 season in 2009-10. She was a member of the academic honor roll in each of her four seasons.
 
As her graduation with a bachelor's in allied health neared in the spring of 2012, McKinney checked the NCAA Web site job postings and found one for a graduate assistant at UW-Whitewater. After applying and going through the interview process, McKinney was offered the position just before walking across the stage to receive her undergraduate degree.
 
"Coach Carollo called to offer me the position the day before graduation, so the timing was good," said McKinney, a Springdale, Ark., native. "I didn't know much about the program, but I knew the WIAC was traditionally strong. I just loaded up the car and drove to Wisconsin."
 
McKinney's responsibilities included being head coach of the junior varsity team and running the scout team at practices. She also played a large role in the student-athletes' academics and in film exchange and breakdown.
 
During McKinney's tenure, the Warhawks continued their success as a regional and national power, winning back-to-back conference championships and finishing among the top four in the nation in consecutive years, including 2012-13, when the team reached the NCAA Division III title game.
 
In the spring, Carollo and the rest of the staff were highly supportive of McKinney, who was about to graduate and was looking for a new position in coaching.
 
"I learned a ton from the UW-Whitewater staff, and I think about these things every day," McKinney said. "Coach Carollo gave me an opportunity and took care of me. It was like having another family.
 
"When I was looking for a job, Coach Carollo was extremely supportive, telling me that good things happen to good people."
 
McKinney's next step was to the Northwest as a basketball operations intern for the Seattle Storm. She called it the "opportunity of a lifetime."
 
"The Storm is the best franchise in the WNBA," McKinney said. "The organization is great, and they treat the players and staff very well. I was also exposed to some technology that wasn't available at the Division III level, so I'm thankful for that."
 
Upon the conclusion of McKinney's internship, Storm head coach Brian Agler, who has a daughter that plays at Indiana, sent McKinney's resume to IU head coach Teri Moren, who had just been hired.
 
McKinney said she interviewed with an assistant coach and was recently hired as video coordinator for the Hoosiers.
 
She looks back on her travels – which took her literally from one corner of the country to another – fondly.
 
"I think the biggest thing is that the more willing you are to being uncomfortable and stretched professionally, the better off you'll be," McKinney said. "Every time I take a new job I leave my previous position with great experience and people I'll always have in my corner."
 
McKinney said her two-year stop in Whitewater was no different.
 
"I'll remember the tangible things, like getting to the national semifinals in both years," McKinney said, "but more than anything, I will remember the people – the student-athletes and coaches, the relationships and what we went through together. I'll never forget the lessons I learned."