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Memphis Grizzlies’ Affiliate Makes History, Promotes Nicki Gross

By Christian Dudley

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Apr 29, 2015; Memphis, TN, USA; Memphis Grizzlies fans cheer during the fourth quarter against the Portland Trailblazers in game five of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at FedExForum. Memphis defeated Portland 99-93. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports

The Memphis Grizzlies’ NBDL affiliate, the Iowa Energy, has hired Nicki Gross as an assistant coach–the only female assistant coach in the D-League.

The Iowa Energy–the Memphis Grizzlies Developmental League affiliate–has made news headlines over the past few days for a good reason.

The NBDL team announced the hire/promotion of a new assistant coach.

Her name?

Nicki Gross. She followed the new trend of being a video coordinator and receiving a promotion to a spot in the sideline huddle. This astounding woman has quickly climbed to the top–and perhaps she is not done yet. This is more like a great new beginning.

The Memphis Grizzlies posted a full report on the Energy’s latest hire/promotion and can be read directly below. To view the informational release, click here.

"The Iowa Energy and its NBA affiliate, the Memphis Grizzlies, today jointly announced Nicki Gross as an assistant coach for the Energy. With her promotion Gross becomes the only female assistant coach in the NBA D-League.Gross enters her second season with the Iowa Energy. Gross spent the 2014-2015 season with the Energy as video coordinator after previously serving as the assistant video coordinator for the Bakersfield Jam in 2013-2014. Pending league approval, Gross will begin her assistant coaching duties this upcoming season.“I am very excited to promote Nicki within our staff as she becomes the only female assistant coach in the NBA D-League,” said Energy Head Coach Bob Donewald. “Nicki joined our franchise last season as video coordinator and did an outstanding job in helping the team prepare for each game. She is a tireless worker who has a bright future in basketball.”Gross graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Seton Hall University in 2011 where she was a member of the Women’s Soccer team for all four years. She then went on to serve as a graduate manager for the Men’s Basketball team at Monmouth University for the 2012-2013 season while pursuing her MBA. Gross has served as an intern for the Samsung NBA Summer League in Las Vegas each year since 2013. She has also worked the Adidas Nations camp in Long Beach, Calif. in 2014 and will again this August."

Could Grizz Nation soon see Gross assume a head coaching job in the NBDL? At this rate, it should be a real possibility if she finds success as an assistant coach with the Iowa Energy.

If she continues her success at this rate, it should not be outlandish to think that Nicki Gross could land on an NBA sideline–maybe even with a team such as the Memphis Grizzlies.

The prominence of women in sports is certainly on the rise and it is great for the world of sports, the game of basketball, and humanity as a whole.

In the 2014-15 NBA season, the San Antonio Spurs hired Becky Hammon–a former WNBA player–as an assistant coach and just this summer she was given the head coaching reigns to the team’s summer league team. She showed great leadership in guiding her squad to victory in the championship round.

While the quantity of women in leadership roles in men’s professional sport leagues are currently few, women have knocked down most barriers in their way and are turning heads for their greatness in these positions. Hammon is a wonderful example. Nicki Gross could very well be the next big story.

Beale Street Bears wishes the best of luck to Nicki Gross in her assistant coaching position as well as the Iowa Energy in the upcoming 2015-16 season.

Continue to check Beale Street Bears for the latest news, rumors, and other info of the offseason regarding your Memphis Grizzlies!

Go Grizz!

Next: Memphis' Jeff Green & Marc Gasol Shine in 2015 NBA Africa Game

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