A familiar face will be back in an assistant coaching role for the DePaul women’s basketball program during the 2018-2019 season.

Candis Blankson, formerly the Director of Corporate, Professional, and Community Relations for the program, will now serve as an assistant coach. She has been part of the Blue Demon women’s basketball staff since the 2001-2002 season and was a guard for the Blue Demons from 1997-2001.

“We are excited to welcome back Candis to the court and sideline after a year of doing a magnificent job as Director of Corporate, Professional and Community Relations,” Blue Demon women’s basketball coach Doug Bruno said via a press release by the university. “Regardless of title, Candis has always been a major contributor to our DePaul women’s basketball athletic and academic success. Candis is the consummate team player and demonstrated that again with her willingness to move from coaching to administration and back to coaching. We would not be the winning program we are without all the great contributions from Candis.”

Blankson was an assistant coach for the Blue Demons for 17 years, before swapping positions with Lisa Ryckbosch last year and serving as the head of Corporate, Professional, and Community Relations for a season. Since Blankson joined the staff, the Blue Demons have 401 wins and have strung together 16 straight NCAA tournament appearances.

She averaged 10.4 points and 4.8 rebounds her senior season at DePaul, helping the Blue Demons advance to the second round of the National Invitational Tournament. She was a three-time Conference USA Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll honoree.