Dominique Kelley Joins Husker Coaching Staff - News, Weather and Sports for Lincoln, NE; KLKNTV.com

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SHE SHINED THROUGH THE RANKS OF LINCOLN BASKETBALL FOR YEARS...

BUT NOW THAT HER PLAYING DAYS ARE OVER, DOMINIQUE KELLEY IS TURNING HER ATTENTION TO COACHING...

AS THE NEWEST GRADUATE ASSISTANT FOR THE HUSKERS.

CHANNEL 8 EYEWITNESS NEWS SPORTS REPORTER *IAN HEST* REPORTS...

THIS COMING SEASON, LINCOLN NATIVE AND FORMER HUSKER POINT GUARD DOMINIQUE KELLEY WILL BE PUSHING THE NEBRASKA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM FROM A DIFFERENT PART OF THE COURT...THE SIDELINE.

I grew up in Lincoln I went to Northeast and then went here and I was a part of some very special years at both places.

SHE'S NOT KIDDING...

KELLEY WON A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP DURING AN UNDEFEATED SEASON AT NORTHEAST

THEN LED THE HUSKERS TO THE SWEET SIXTEEN AS A JUNIOR... BUT KNEE PAIN IN HER SENIOR CAREER BROUGHT HER TO THE BENCH... AND TO A NEW OPPORTUNITY.

There aren't really too many other places that I could've gone in the country that offer all the same things that this GA job at Nebraska will do for me.

KELLEY WILL BE IN CHARGE OF THE PRACTICE SQUAD THE HUSKERS WILL FACE ON A DAILY BASIS...PREPARING THEM FOR THE TESTS THEY'LL FACE IN THE BIG TEN.

BUT AFTER YEARS ON THE HARDWOOD, SHE SAID SHE KNEW IT WAS TIME TO CHANGE HER FOCUS... TO TEACHING A NEW GENERATION OF GIRLS.

Having the opportunity with coaching. It's helped me stay really connected to the game and I feel like I'm still doing something to give back.

LAST SEASON, SHE WAS AN ASSISTANT COACH AT DOANE...

BUT BEING NEW ON THE JOB COMES WITH IT'S CHALLENGES...KELLEY SAYS SHE'S LOOKING FORWARD TO LEARNING X'S AND O'S FROM HEAD COACH CONNIE YORI...BUT THAT'S NOT ALL.

I thought I'd be better towards the refs being that I officiate a lot of high school and youth basketball. So I kind of made some enemies there.

SHE'LL GET BETTER WITH THE REFS WITH TIME...

KELLEY SAYS THIS IS JUST THE START OF WHAT WILL HOPEFULLY BE A LONG CAREER...AND SHE KNOWS A THING OR TWO ABOUT LONGEVITY.

BEFORE HER KNEE INJURY AS A SENIOR KELLEY STARTED 109 CONSECUTIVE GAMES FOR THE HUSKERS.