Virginia assistants to wed Sunday; we've got gift ideas

Exciting news for the Virginia women's basketball family this weekend as newly-installed assistant coaches Kim Hairston and Cory McNeill will be getting married Sunday in McNeill's hometown of Baltimore.

We can't make it to the ceremony (for which we're sure they're both grateful), but we'd love to mark the occasion with some sort of gift.  But what to get? The director's cut DVD of "Love and Basketball" perhaps? Nah, too cliche. Besides, is there anyone in this sport that hasn't seen that flick at least 10 times already?

No, this wedding calls for some less-conventional thinking. So how 'about....

- A "Virginia is for Lovers" picture frame - We know the slogan was meant to describe the state, not the college. But you have to admit, in the case of you two crazy kids, it fits and what better place to put your pic of the first kiss.

- Hair extensions - Said Hairston: "It's stressful. I'm pulling my hair out with recruiting and dealing with the wedding." This gift will help you, er, patch things over. But don't worry, Coach. As Britney Spears can attest, the real stuff will grow back.

- Hula  lessons. - Not sure what kind of dancers Hairston and McNeill are, but once they take this crash course, it won't matter. And by the time the Cavaliers get to Hawaii in November, you guys will be able to boogie like natives.

- A wedding party on the night of March 4, 2012 in Greensboro, N.C. - That's the when and where of the ACC Tournament final, which means this one's contingent on the Cavaliers still being in Greensboro on March 4. So we can't give this gift to the newlyweds. Only the players can.

- Matching high-performance bowling balls (orange and blue, of course) - Bowling's McNeill's game; not sure how Hairston feels about going alley to alley. But since she loves McNeill, we're sure she'll at least give it a try. And seeing as she had a higher scoring average at Radford/Richmond than McNeill did at Morgan State, we wouldn't be shocked if McNeill soon finds he's the second-best bowler in the family.

- His-and-her police uniforms - Nothing kinky here, folks. We just figure that on the occasions when new coach Joanne Boyle really gets after the players - and we've yet to meet the successful head coach who doesn't - Hairston and McNeill may have to play "good cop" to one or more of the more impressionable Cavaliers. Might as well look the part.

And finally....

- Three consensus Top-10 recruits - Based on their resumes, it doesn't appear as though either of these guys needs our help recruiting. But giving how competitive acquiring top talent has become, our guess is they'll take it.

Congratulations, guys. Here's wishing you the very best in your future together.

Boyle fills out Virginia coaching staff

New Virginia coach Joanne Boyle has assembled a staff with strong ties to the Commonwealth and/or region:

  - Kim Hairston, assistant: A Bassett native, Hairston starred as a player at Radford and Richmond who served as an assistant to Boyle at Richmond and Cal. Hairston has been an assistant at Georgia the past four seasons.

   - Cory McNeill, assistant - Baltimore native who, as the defensive coordinator at Georgetown, helped turn the Hoyas into one of the nation's top defensive teams over the past four seasons.

   - Katie O'Connor, assistant - A four-year starter at Virginia Tech (1995-99) who spent three years as an assistant with the Hokies. She has spent the past seven seasons as an assistant at Kansas under former Tech coach Bonnie Henrickson.

   - Sarah Holsinger, director of operations - A native or Luray, Holsinger spent two seasons as JMU's director of operations before taking a similar job for six years with Boyle at Cal.

"It was important for me to put together a talented staff that is passionate and experienced in recruiting and skill development," Boyle said. "Kim, Cory, Katie and Sarah are a group of rising stars in the profession who have helped build incredibly successful programs. They are all a great fit for the University of Virginia and I know they will work hard to drive the vision I have for the program. I'm excited and proud to bring this group together and we are looking forward to continuing to elevate the great tradition of Virginia women's basketball."

Ex-Richmond standout Kim Hairston joins UVa. staff

Georgia assistant coach Kim Hairston, an ace recruiter who worked under Joanne Boyle at Richmond and California, has re-joined her former boss as part of Virginia's new staff.

Hairston certainly has plenty of in-state connections. A native of Bassett, Va., Hairston was an assistant at Richmond in 2004-05 when the Spiders went 23-8 and earned the program's first NCAA Tournament berth in 14 years. She also spent three years as an assistant at JMU. And as a player, Hairston was the 1996 Big South Rookie of the Year at Radford and helped the Highlanders advance to the NCAA Tournament. She hit 40.2 percent of her 3-pointers that season (45-112), the second-highest figure in program history. She later transferred to Richmond and made the CAA All-Defensive team in 2000.

Hairston comes to Virginia after four years at Georgia, where she made an immediate impact upon joining the staff of Andy Landers in 2007. “Kim is very well organized from a recruiting and an office standpoint,” Landers said. “She’s very professional. She’s very excited about being the best she can be and she works at that every day. Before she was hired, I thought all that about her. What I didn’t know was how good she was going to be on the floor. As we progressed through workouts before the fall it became apparent pretty quickly that she’s excellent there. She brings great enthusiasm, has a great understanding of the game, motivates players well and teaches well."

Last year, Hairston made minor news with the Lady Bulldogs when she was named in a secondary NCAA violation, one of 14 Georgia self-reported on its athletic program in 2010, for accepting a Facebook friend request from a 2012 recruit prior to the time coaches can send electronically transmitted correspondence to recruits. Hairston was unaware accepting the request wasn't allowed; the Lady Bulldogs staff was forbidden to contact that recruit for 30 days.