University of Denver Athletics

Kayla Ard enters her fourth season as Associate Head Coach and Recruiting Coordinator in 2020-21. She also is the offensive coordinator for the Pioneers.

Ard has been instrumental in helping turn around the Pioneer program under the guidance of head coach Jim Turgeon.

In year three with Ard, the Pioneers continued their strong play as they finished the season 15-15 overall and 9-7 in league play to earn the third seed in the Summit League Championships. This was the program’s third straight season .500 or better overall and in league play.

Ard led Denver on a six-game win streak to close out the regular season, its longest win streak in eight years. The Pioneers also earned its first ever program win in Brookings and first win over South Dakota State since 2015 under Ard’s guidance.

The Pioneers once again had a top offense in the country with Ard, finishing in the top-20 in four statistical categories. They finished 18th in scoring offense (77.6), 19th in free throw percentage (77.1), third in free throws made (504), and 14th in free throw attempts (654).

DU continued its strong Summit League presence as it finished second in scoring offense (77.6), first in free throw percentage (77.1), third in 3s made per game average (7.2), third in 3-point percentage (33.7), second in steals per game (9.3), second in free throw attempts (654), first in free throws made (504), and first in rebounds (1,264) and rebounds per game (42.1).

It was another record setting year in 2019-20 for Denver as it set a new school record with a free throw percentage of 77.1, while posting the fourth highest scoring average in program history at 77.6. The Pioneers’ offense was one of the hottest in school history, scoring the second most points at 2,328.

Individually, Madison Nelson continued where she left off in 2018-19 with a record setting senior year to earn First Team All-Summit League honors. Nelson set new program records for single season points (592), rebounds (343), and scoring average (19.7). She became the first player in Denver’s Division I era to average a season long double-double with averages of 19.7 points and 11.4 rebounds.

Ard also helped Lauren Loven continue her historic career in her senior season as she finished her career second in the Summit League record book for career 3s made (341) and 3s attempted (832). Loven earned Second Team All-Summit League and ended her career eighth on Denver’s all-time scoring list with 1,453 career points.

Denver took another step in year two with Ard, posting an 18-14 record in 2018-19, the most program wins during its time as a member of the Summit League. The Pioneers also posted a 10-6 record in league play, the most league wins since joining back in the fall of 2013. 

DU also enjoyed its taste of postseason success, making the WNIT for the second time in school history. The Crimson and Gold secured the first-ever postseason win in program history with an 83-75 victory over New Mexico in the opening round. 

The Pioneers' offense produced at historic levels throughout the year, resulting in the best offensive numbers in the program's Division I era. DU's 80.3 scoring average not only was best in school history but ranked 11th in all of Division I that season. The Pioneers were especially deadly from beyond the arc, ranking third in the country in 3-point percentage (38.6 percent), 3s made per game (9.3) and 17th in total 3s made (297). The 297 3s made also set a new school record.

DU again exceeded expectations for a second straight season, recording its highest regular-season finish ever in the Summit League, taking the No. 3 seed going into the Summit League Championship in Sioux Falls. Denver was originally picked fifth in the Summit League Preseason Poll.

The Pioneers continued its trend of moving up in the RPI, finishing at 167, a 14-spot improvement from the prior year.

Ard helped pioneer the new-age offense by continuing to develop Samantha Romanowski, Madison Nelson and Lauren Loven into Summit League all-league selections. Nelson, a second-team selection, finished third in the league in scoring (16.3 points per game) and first in rebounding average (8.9). Loven, an honorable-mention selection, finished seventh in all of the NCAA in 3s made with 111 and led the Summit League in 3-point shooting percentage at 44.4 percent, also good for eighth in the country. Romanowski earned honorable mention after taking on point-guard duties and finishing 11th in the country in assists per game with a 6.0 average.

The Pioneers also continued to raise their overall offense in other areas, finishing ranked in the top 50 in the NCAA in assists per game (38th), overall free throws made (41st), free-throw percentage (43rd). The team also just finished outside of the top 50 in overall assists (51st) and overall field-goal percentage (58th).

Denver also saw improvement on the defensive end, finishing ranked 19th in Division I in blocked shots (161) and 62nd in rebounds per game (40.22).

The Louisiana native's impact was felt almost immediately upon arrival, with the Crimson and Gold showing a 10-win improvement in her first season in 2017-18, going 16-14, the first winning record for the program in six years. The 10-win improvement was the highest turnaround by first-year staffs in the country that season in all of women's basketball.

Denver's 7-7 mark in league play that year earned it the fourth seed in the Summit League Championship in March, the second-highest seed for the team since joining the league.

DU also made a major move up the RPI rankings going from 277 in 2016-17 to 181 (96 spots) by the end of year. 

Ard successfully implemented a fast-pace offense that saw the Pioneers rise up the rankings to become one of the better offenses in the country in her debut season. Denver finished ranked 72nd in scoring offense (70.6), 40th in 3-point field-goals made (256), 27th in 3-pointers made per game (8.5) and 48th in 3-point field-goal percentage (35.9 percent).

The Crimson and Gold were rewarded for the newfound success on the court earning multiple Summit League honors, with Claire Gritt earning Freshman of the Year, All-Summit Newcomer Team and Summit League Honorable Mention along with Jordyn Alt.

Not just successful on the court, Ard immediately made her recruiting felt throughout the Summit League, signing the top-ranked recruiting class in the league according to ASGR.

Ard, known for her strong recruiting skill set, came to Denver from the University of Dayton where she served as the assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for two seasons. While at Dayton, Ard coached a class that was ranked in the top 20 in the nation in 2015 and also worked with the 2015 A-10 Rookie of the Year. 

Prior to her time at Dayton, Ard was an assistant coach at Clemson for two years, helping guide the team to compete in the always-tough Atlantic Coast Conference that features several high-level teams on a yearly basis.

Ard also coached at Troy under Chanda Rigby, whom she followed from Pensacola State before the 2012-13 season. Ard was instrumental in putting together Troy's eight-member 2013 signing class, which included three National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) All-Americans.

Ard was a standout recruiter and assistant coach at Pensacola State College (Fla.) during the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons before she coached at Troy. During her time at PSC, the Pirates earned a berth in two NJCAA National Semifinals.

As recruiting coordinator at PSC, Ard signed three WBCA All-Americans, and coached the players to 13 All-Conference honors. Her players moved on to earn scholarships in the BIG EAST, SEC, Pac-12, and Colonial Athletic Conference.

Ard has a great deal of coaching experience, including stops at several AAU programs.

After attending Chipola Junior College for one year, Ard graduated from Southeastern Louisiana University in 2010, and earned her master's degree in psychology from the University of Phoenix in 2013. 

Ard played for Rigby at Loranger (LA) high school, where she averaged 26.0 points per game, and led the team to a state title in 2000.