Kansas women's basketball is making moves—and it's bringing some familiar faces back home. Head coach Brandon Schneider has officially announced the addition of two Kansas natives to the coaching staff for the 2026-27 season, and the Jayhawks are looking stronger than ever.

First up is Jerise Freeman, a Wichita native who joins as assistant head coach after a successful stint as assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Oregon. With nearly two decades of college coaching experience under her belt—including key roles at Utah and Oklahoma State—Freeman brings a wealth of knowledge and a sharp eye for talent to Lawrence.

Joining her is Jayci Stone, who hails from Goodland, Kansas. Stone steps into an assistant coach role after serving as director of student-athlete development at Arkansas. Her coaching journey includes stops at Kansas State and TCU, giving her deep roots in the Big 12 and a proven track record of developing players both on and off the court.

"Jerise and Jayci both have extensive experience both in college basketball and the Big 12 Conference," Schneider said in a team release. "They are proven court coaches as it relates to teaching the game and developing players. Their strong, national recruiting ties will greatly benefit us as we continue to improve and advance our program."

Schneider also emphasized the personal connection: "Jerise and Jayci will be incredible mentors for our young women both on and off the court, and we are excited to bring them back to their home state."

The new hires will round out a revamped coaching staff that also includes associate head coach Brock McGinnis and assistant coach/recruiting coordinator Patrick Schrater. The shake-up comes after former associate head coach Morgan Paige took the head coaching job at Loyola Chicago, and assistant coach Karyla Knight was not listed in the team's latest release.

So what's next for the Jayhawks? After finishing the 2025-26 season at 22-14, Kansas fell short of the NCAA tournament for the second straight year—but they made noise in the WBIT, reaching the semifinals, and advanced to the second round of the Big 12 tournament. With star guard S'Mya Nichols and forward Jaliya Davis returning as the team's leading duo, the pieces are in place for a serious run. The goal? Get back to March Madness.

"I'm excited to be back," Freeman said. And with this new-look staff, Jayhawks fans have plenty of reasons to share that excitement.