Years in Coaching: 5th season
Years at USF: 1st season
Alma Mater: Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, 2020 (bachelor’s); Texas A&M, 2022 (master’s)
Hometown: Sugar Land, Texas
NOTABLES
- Coached three 2025 WNBA Draft selections at Alabama.
- Helped Alabama to NCAA top 25 national rankings and NCAA Tournament appearances in each of her three seasons with the Crimson Tide.
- Was a graduate assistant and served as assistant video coordinator on Texas A&M’s 2021 SEC Championship team.
COACHING HONORS
2025-26 Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Thirty Under 30 honoree
Sydney-Anne Cottrell joined Kristy Curry’s first South Florida staff as an assistant coach in April 2026.
BEFORE SOUTH FLORIDA
Cottrell came to South Florida after three seasons as an assistant coach and director of video and creative content for Kristy Curry at Alabama. She oversaw all filming operations during practices and games, while organizing video breakdowns and evaluations. She also ran analytics after practices and games.
While at Alabama, Cottrell helped coach 2025 WNBA Draft selections Sarah Ashlee Barker (Los Angeles Sparks – 9
th overall pick), Aaliyah Nye (Las Vegas Aces – 13
th), and Zaay Green (Washington Mystics - 32
nd).
Prior to Alabama, Cottrell served as the director of video scouting and recruiting operations at Elon University for one season (2022-23) under Coach Charlotte Smith, where she filmed practices and used live coding, in addition to helping with postgame video breakdown and evaluations. She also organized recruiting databases, set up official visits and scheduled recruiting trips.
Cottrell served as a graduate assistant and assistant video coordinator at Texas A&M for Hall of Fame coach Gary Blair during the 2020-21season when the Aggies won the SEC Championship and made it to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament. She was promoted to video coordinator for the 2021-22 season during Blair’s last season as coach, Cottrell was chosen for the WBCA’s “So You Wanna Be a Coach” program while with the Aggies.
A prolific shooter, Cottrell played Division I basketball at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi for legendary coach Royce Chadwick. She began her career as a recruited walk-on, eventually earning a scholarship. Cottrell helped the Islanders to their first-ever Southland Conference championship as a senior. She was named to the Commissioner’s Honor Roll during her five years on the island and served her team as SAAC Representative.
Cottrell holds a pre-med degree from Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and earned her master’s degree from Texas A&M.
PERSONAL
College athletics run deep in Cottrell’s family. Her father, Ron, was an assistant at Arkansas for legendary Hall of Fame coach Nolan Richardson before a embarking on a long-time head coaching career at Division I Houston Christian University (formerly HBU), where he amassed more than 500 wins; her mother, Jacque, had a long career in athletic media relations at Arkansas, the Southwest Conference, the Cotton Bowl, HBU and the Great West Conference; her sister, Scottlyn, worked in athletic academic services at HBU, Texas A&M, Maryland, Oklahoma, and is currently assistant director of learning services for Penn State Athletics.
COACHING CAREER
2026-present: South Florida, Assistant Coach
2023-26: Alabama, Assistant Coach/Director of Video and Creative Content
2022-23: Elon, Director of Video Scouting and Recruiting Operations
