DENVER – The University of Denver women's basketball program has hired former Mexican Women's Basketball National Team head coach and Santa Clara assistant Des Abeyta as an assistant coach, DU head coach Erik Johnson announced on Monday.
 
"I am honored that Des is bringing her incredible talents and expertise to our program," Johnson said. "She is one of the most respected coaches and recruiters in the west and was pivotal in an amazing 15-year run of success at UC Davis. Des brings head coaching experience and WCC experience that will make an immediate impact on all of us. I am so looking forward to learning from her international experience as head coach of the Mexican national team and as an assistant with the South Sudan national team. Her energy and passion is felt by everyone around her, and our players will love working with her every day."
 
Abeyta is coming off a season as an assistant coach at West Coast Conference program Santa Clara, where she helped lead the Broncos to a 24-10 record and a 13-5 mark in the WCC. As the third seed in the postseason, Santa Clara earned a quarterfinal win over San Francisco in the WCC Tournament before falling to Gonzaga in the semifinal. Santa Clara went on to play Cal in the WBIT, dropping a four-point game in the postseason to the ACC school.
 
"I am incredibly excited and grateful for the opportunity to join head coach Erik Johnson and the talented staff at the University of Denver," Abeyta said. "Throughout my coaching career, I have been fortunate to gain experience at multiple levels of the game, and I look forward to bringing that perspective, energy and passion to the Pioneer family. Coach Johnson has a clear vision for this program, and I am honored to be a part of this new era of Denver women's basketball. I can't wait to get to work and be part of building something special at Denver."
 
In the international game, Abeyta was the head coach of the Mexican national team in the summer of 2025, after serving on the staff as an assistant the summer prior. Abeyta opened her international head coaching career at the 2025 FIBA Women's AmeriCup. Abeyta also previously coached internationally for South Sudan.
 
Prior to joining the staff at Santa Clara, Abeyta spent three seasons as the head coach Sonoma State (NCAA DII), where she led the Seawolves to 48 wins, including 36 in conference play. Abeyta coached seven student-athletes to All-Conference honors.
 
Abeyta's longest-tenured position saw her spend 15 years on the UC Davis women's basketball staff, taking her alma mater from its first year at the Division I level to a program that went 71-35 in her four years after being promoted to associate head coach with two NCAA Tournament appearances to the Aggies' name in that span.
 
As a student-athlete, Abeyta led UC Davis from 1996-99, earning All-California Collegiate Athletic Association honors twice. Abeyta played to a 94-22 record while with the Aggies and continues to rank among the school's career leaders is points, rebounds and blocked shots.
 
Johnson was hired on Monday, April 20, to begin his second stint as the head coach at the University of Denver. In his first go around, the Pioneers went 72-52 in four seasons, including 44-24 in Sun Belt Conference play and a 44-13 mark at home. Johnson and the Pioneers finished above .500 in all four seasons, the longest streak for the program in the Division I era. In his last job at Fairfield, Johnson was an assistant coach for a Fairfield team that went 102-27 in the last four seasons, won three MAAC Championships and made three NCAA Tournament appearances.
 
Earlier this offseason, Johnson hired Abi Olajuwon (READ FULL RELEASE) as his associate head coach and Jasmine Gill (READ FULL RELEASE) as an assistant coach.
 
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