Hope College

Courtney Kust ’13 became Hope College’s associate head women’s basketball coach prior to the 2023-24 season.

Kust had served as an assistant coach for the Flying Dutch the previous nine seasons and as the college’s Assistant Athletic Director of Events since July 1, 2019.

Head coach Brian Morehouse said he is excited about Kust’s promotion to associate head coach.

“Courtney is recognized nationally as one of the best assistants in college basketball,” Morehouse said. “She is a leader in the women's basketball coaching community. She has established a network of coaches she learns from, but also mentors. I’m excited to continue to work together as she mentors our players in every phase of their lives.”

Kust assists with in-game coaching,  recruiting responsibilities, scouting reports of opposing teams and player skill development.

Morehouse said Kust has worked diligently to grow as a coach during her tenure at Hope.

During the 2021-22 season, Kust helped the Flying Dutch claim the third NCAA Division III national championship in program history. Hope’s record during Kust’s coaching tenure is 231-23, a winning percentage of .909.

In 2018, Kust was named a member of the Women's Basketball Coaches' Association "Thirty Under 30 Class," a distinction that recognizes 30 up-and-coming women’s basketball coaches aged 30 and under at all levels of the game.

“As Courtney has evolved as a coach, I've given her more and more responsibility and she continues to excel in every phase,” Morehouse said. “The success of our program is a reflection of Courtney and our other assistants' continued efforts to help our athletes reach their potential both on and off the court.”  

A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, Kust played basketball for the Flying Dutch from the 2009-10 to the 2012-13 season. She was a member of the 2010 national runner-up team and a captain her senior year. She earned All-Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association First Team honors during her junior and senior seasons.

Kust holds a master's degree in sports administration from Xavier University (2014) and a bachelor's in business administration from Hope College (2013).

Previously to be named an assistant athletic director at Hope, Kust worked as an event and conference manager in the Hope College Events & Conference Office (ECO).

Her responsibilities included developing and coordinating events, conferences and camps at Hope College. As a student, Kust was a recipient of the Hope College Kinesiology Department's Miner Stegenga Award for Christian leadership in 2012 and 2013.