NORFOLK, VA (WTKR)- It's been a fun summer for Delisha Milton-Jones.
The Old Dominion head coach has spent her time guiding Team USA as an assistant coach, one that went to Santiago, Chile, and returned with a Americup gold medal. The Americans dethroned reigning champ Brazil to cap off the championship run.
Now she's back home and reflecting on the gold medal experience, something with which she's familiar. By Milton-Jones's count, she's won nine gold medals between playing and coaching, including two Olympic top prizes as a player.
"Being able to have played for USA basketball and giving so much to that, I feel like in return, being on the sidelines, giving of my time and my services to the young players that are trying to be Olympians is the best way that I could pay it forward," she said. "Whenever you can be victorious in that feat at the same time, then that's the cherry on top of everything that you're trying to accomplish."
Milton-Jones was an assistant to one of her former teammates, Kara Lawson. She's made several appearances on the coaching staff for the red, white and blue, helping the program elevate its game.
Now she's back in silver and blue with a potentially fun season ahead. Old Dominion returns seven players, including four starters and 70 percent of its scoring from last year. Milton-Jones says the team is the deepest she's had during her tenure with the Monarchs. The ability to retain so much talent in today's age of college athletics is a testament to the culture built by the head coach and her staff.
"It's awesome to know that the relationships that we've built, it means something," she noted. "It matters to them just as much as it matters to us. That's the foundation of everything that we do."
ODU tips off its season at home against UMass on November 3.
