Dosty joins Wahine coaching staff

As Rainbow Wahine basketball coach Laura Beeman went through the interview process with Sybil Dosty, she came away impressed with the prospective assistant coach’s background and demeanor.

Glowing recommendations from highly respected coaches also worked in Dosty’s favor.

But Dosty’s meetings with the Rainbow Wahine returnees truly sealed Beeman’s decision to add her to the coaching staff.

“She was able to come out and do an on-campus interview and during that time was able to meet with the girls and they loved her,” Beeman said.

“They’re always my final say. They’re my final say when it comes to recruiting and my final say when it comes to coaches.”

Before long, the process was finalized and the school announced Dosty’s hiring on Thursday.

Dosty comes to UH having played and worked for three esteemed head coaches. Arizona’s 2004 Gatorade Player of the Year as a senior at Tucson’s Salpointe High School, the 6-foot-3 center spent her first two college seasons at Tennessee, where she played for Pat Summitt. She transferred to Arizona State as a junior and contributed to two NCAA tournament appearances under Charli Turner Thorne.

As a senior in the 2008-09 season, Dosty started all 35 games and led the Sun Devils in shooting percentage (55.4), rebounding (6.7 per game) and blocked shots 48 while helping ASU reach the elite eight. She maintained a 4.05 grade-point average as a senior while working toward her master’s degree and was named the Pac-10 Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

She later worked for Turner as a graduate assistant and spent last season at Seattle University, where she assisted Joan Bonvicini, who earned most of her 700-plus career wins at Arizona and Long Beach State.

“Talking to Charli Turner and Joan Bonvicini, they couldn’t speak any higher of her and her abilities and what she was going to bring to our coaching staff,” Beeman said.

In her interview with Dosty, Beeman said she “loved her disposition.”

“She’s quiet, but not shy. She’s very confident in her abilities, but not overbearing. She wasn’t trying to impress, she was just being herself,” Beeman said.

Dosty fills the spot vacated by Dekita Williams, a member of the staff for the last three seasons. Beeman said Williams returned to the mainland “to explore new opportunities.”

“Very, very bittersweet. Absolutely love Dekita, she’s family,” Beeman said. “So it was hard to see her go, but I definitely understand why she needs to get back to the mainland.”

As mentioned when the signing of Lahainaluna’s Keleah-Aiko Koloi was announced on Tuesday, the Wahine will be strikingly young in the paint next season and Dosty’s primary duty will be to guide the post players.

Beeman said assistant coach Alex Delanian worked with the posts the last two seasons and will focus on the guards this year. Associate coach Mary Wooley will continue to work primarily with the wings.