LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Jeff Walz added two former head coaches to his Louisville women's basketball staff, hiring Mike Bradbury and Joanna Bernabei-McNamee as assistants.
The two bring a combined 27 years of head coaching experience to a Cardinals program that is retooling its staff after a Sweet 16 season.
The moves come after Walz elevated assistant Jonneshia Pineda to associate head coach in April, giving Louisville a blend of continuity and veteran leadership on the bench.
Bernabei-McNamee's connection with Walz runs nearly two decades. The two worked together under Brenda Frese at Maryland and were part of the Terrapins' 2006 national championship staff. She went on to spend eight years as head coach at Boston College, where she guided the Eagles to the best ACC finish in program history in 2019-20 — 20 wins, a fourth-place league finish, and ACC Coach of the Year honors. She also led Albany to an NCAA Tournament appearance and took Pikeville to the NAIA Final Four.
"Joanna and I go way back to our time together at the University of Maryland," Walz said. "There's a trust and familiarity there that you can't manufacture, and I know she'll make an immediate impact on our program."
Bradbury brings 19 years of head coaching experience at New Mexico, Wright State and Morehead State. At New Mexico, he went 202-112 over 10 seasons, winning the program's first outright Mountain West regular-season title in 2020-21 and earning conference Coach of the Year honors in 2023-24.
"Adding Mike Bradbury to our staff is about bringing in a coach with a wealth of experience and a deep understanding of the game," Walz said. "Having someone who has sat in the head chair gives us another strong voice in the room."
With a strong core expected back from last season's Sweet 16 team, Walz has now paired that returning continuity with two veteran program-builders on his staff.
Pineda, who has been on Walz's staff for the past seven seasons, remains a key piece of that continuity as Louisville reshapes its bench around experience.
"Jonneshia has earned this opportunity through her tireless work ethic, leadership, and loyalty to our program," said Walz. "She has a tremendous ability to connect with our players while holding them to the highest standards, and she plays a critical role in everything we do. I'm excited to see her continue to grow in this position and help lead our program as we pursue championships at the highest level."
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