Vanderbilt hires Ohio State's Joy Cheek as assistant

The spring time brings a lot of different movements for women's basketball coaches. Vanderbilt recently hired Stephanie White, being able to take her away from the professional level.

One of her first hires will be bringing on Joy Cheek as an assistant, snagging her away from the Ohio State sidelines. Cheek informed people of her impending move yesterday, multiple sources tell Swish Appeal.

With White not joining the Vanderbilt staff until her season is over with the Indiana Fever season, she will need coaches who will hit the road during the recruiting periods this summer. Therefore, the addition of Cheek works in her favor -- she has been the recruiting coordinator for Ohio State the past three years. Even before Ohio State, she co-coordinated recruiting with another assistant at Duke.

Cheek’s role as an assistant will expand at Vanderbilt beyond just recruiting – even though she does have it in her arsenal, which will always be beneficial in her career of coaching.

Cheek has a track record of bringing in top players to the college level, bringing in Kelsey Mitchell, who headlined a top five recruiting class, as well as, Kianna Holland (Duke) and Shayla Cooper (Ohio State).

Cheek has experience of developing post players something she did will she was with the Buckeyes. At Duke, she worked with the perimeter players. Wherever White decides to have Cheek focus on, she has brought on a coach who will bring her knowledge of the game with either position on the court, as well as having a knack for connecting with today’s youth.

Before her coaching career began, Cheek played college ball at one of the most well-known universities in the country at Duke. From there she emerged in the WNBA as the 35th overall pick in the 2010 draft where she played with the Indiana Fever for a small stint.

Other stops in her professional career have been in Poland and the Washington Mystics, she was headed to Spain, but decided to take the Duke position before she headed there.

As a young coach in the game, Cheek will be among assisting a talented head coach in White and continue to grow herself and now the individuals she will help to bring in at Vanderbilt.

Rene' Kennedy contributed to this report.