Jeff Walz Announces Two Hires to Coaching Staff at Louisville

Both new assistants for the Cardinals have extensive head coaching experience.

Louisville Cardinals head coach Jeff Walz shouts to his team during a first-round game between the Louisville Cardinals and Vermont Catamounts in the 2026 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament at the KFC Yum Center, March 21, 2026, in Louisville, Ky. | Jeff Faughender/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Jeff Walz has now completed his coaching staff for the 2026-27 season.

The head coach of the Louisville women's basketball program announced Tuesday that he has hired both former New Mexico head coach Mike Bradbury and former Boston College head coach Joanna Bernabei-McNamee as assistant coaches.

Bradbury and Bernabei-McNamee replace Shay Robinson and Amanda Butler, who left UofL for jobs at Charleston and Florida, respectively. Walz also recently promoted Jonneshia Pineda to associate head coach.

Bradbury spent the last 10 years as the head coach of the Lobos. During that time, New Mexico went 202-112 overall and 114-64 in Mountain West play. He helped guide NM to six 20-win seasons, including a program-best 26 wins in 2021-22, and was also named the MW Coach of the Year in 2024.

He also spent six seasons as the head coach at Wright State and three at Morehead State. In 19 seasons as a head coach, Bradbury has a 380-230 overall record.

"Adding Mike Bradbury to our staff is about bringing in a coach with a wealth of experience and a deep understanding of the game," Walz said in a statement. "He's been a head coach, he's navigated the challenges of building programs, and he understands what it takes to compete at a high level. That perspective is invaluable for our players and for our staff as we continue to push forward."

As for Bernabei-McNamee, she spent the previous eight seasons with the Eagles. While she went only 113-132 during her time in Chestnut Hill, she helped guide BC to a pair of 20-win seasons, and was named the ACC Coach of the Year in 2020.

Prior to Boston College, Bernabei-McNamee served as the head coach at Albany for a pair of seasons, was was preceded by a three-year head coaching stint at Pikeville. She also has prior experience with Walz, serving as an assistant at Maryland alongside him prior to his jump to UofL.

"I'm excited to welcome Joanna McNamee to our staff here at the University of Louisville," Walz said in a statement. "Joanna and I go way back to our time together at the University of Maryland, where we were part of the 2006 national championship staff. Having shared that experience, I've seen firsthand the level of preparation, passion, and basketball IQ she brings every single day. There's a trust and familiarity there that you can't manufacture, and I know she'll make an immediate impact on our program."

Year 19 under head coach Jeff Walz was an incredibly successful campaign, one where they finished 29-8 overall for their 16th consecutive 20-win season. Louisville also started conference play at 11-0 for their longest ever undefeated start to ACC play, which was part of a 14-game win streak during the middle portion of the year. The Cardinals also got back to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2023, before ultimately falling to Michigan.

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(Photo of Jeff Walz: Jeff Faughender/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)