First-year St. Mary's Women's Basketball assistant coach Valerie Huizar returns to her hometown of San Antonio to assist head coach Jason Martens.

Huizar, a graduate of O'Connor High School in San Antonio, returns home after spending two years as the head coach at her college alma mater, LSU Shreveport. At the helm, she led the Pilots to 41-21 record, posting back-to-back 20-win seasons in 2015 and 2016.

"This is really a blessing," Huizar said. "An opportunity to be in this program, learn from his system and become better as a coach; it's exciting."

"I love this university," she added. "I've always admired it. It's a cherry on top to be close to my family."

Huizar's resume also includes two seasons as an assistant coach at crosstown rival Our Lady of the Lake, one season at Tyler Junior College as an assistant and one season as a graduate assistant at LSUS.
 
"Being a (former) head coach I think is going to help me be a great assistant," Huizar said. "I've always had an admiration for the program and for what Coach Martens has done."
 
In addition to her coaching experience, Huizar was a standout point guard for the Pilots for two seasons. Starting in all 63 games played from 2008-2010, Huizar posted impressive numbers, averaging 11 points and 5.3 assists per game.
 
"Being a college athlete was probably one of the best experiences, so far, in my life," she said. "It helped prepare me for coaching, which is something that I've always wanted to do since high school."
 
Huizar hopes to make a lasting impact during her time at St. Mary's both on and off the court.
 
"I hope to make a positive impact," she said. "To come in and have my work ethic be contagious to those around me."
  
"It's going to be an exciting year, that's for sure," she added.