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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Women's Basketball
- Ending Title:
- Assistant Coach
- Years at Ole Miss:
- 2018-24
- Alma Mater:
- Florida A&M (2008)
Chris Ayers spent six seasons as an assistant coach under Ole Miss women’s basketball head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin, and his three as the recruiting coordinator for the program.
“Chris Ayers is one of the best relationship builders in the country,” McPhee-McCuin said. “He has grassroots experience and is great with player development, and his communication skills both with players and the community at large are superb. He is a force to reckoned with in this business.”
Ayers spearheaded all recruiting efforts throughout his six years at Ole Miss, helping secure the SEC's top-ranked class in 2019-20 that included the program's first McDonald's All-American and eventual SEC Freshman of the Year (Madison Scott), two five-star prospects (Scott and Jacorriah Bracey), two members of the SEC All-Freshman team (Scott and Snudda Collins) and ESPN's top-ranked transfer in Shakira Austin -- who went on to earn Honorable Mention All-America, First-Team All-SEC twice winner of the 2021 and 2022 Gillom Trophy, and become a top-three WNBA Draft pick.
Ayers was in charge of the Ole Miss point guards, and in 2022-23 that involved guiding the duo of Angel Baker and Myah Taylor. The pair were a key factor in the Rebels reaching its first Sweet 16 since 2007, with Baker being named First Team All-SEC after averaging 14.8 points per game and leading Ole Miss in scoring as well as garnering WBCA Honorable Mention All-America Honors and an invite to training camp for the Chicago Sky. Baker also became the second straight Rebel to earn the 2023 Gillom Trophy as the top player in Mississippi. As the conference’s active career leader in assists, Myah Taylor finished fourth in the SEC with 3.6 dimes per contest. The list of professionals developed under Ayers continues to grow, with Baker taking her talents to Poland and Taylor to Mexico.
Under his leadership, Ayers mentored Mimi Reid and Valerie Nesbitt, who were both critical in the first winning season at Ole Miss since 2016-17 in 2020-21, with Reid finishing second in the SEC in assists at 4.6 per game (her third straight season in the top-10), and Nesbitt finishing 15th in the league at 3.0 per game.
In his first year in 2018-19 he guided Mimi Reid into becoming the top freshman point guard in the SEC and one of the best in the nation. Reid ended the season with 5.6 points per game and 4.3 assists, the latter of which led the team, ranked sixth in the SEC and first among conference freshmen. For her efforts running the Rebel offense, Reid was named the SEC Freshman of the Week twice. She also stood as the only player in the SEC to record separate games of at least 11 rebounds and 11 assists.
Reid again had a solid season under Ayers' tutelage in 2019-20, finishing the regular season seventh in the SEC in assists with 4.0 per game and eighth in minutes played with 32.6. Reid became a crucial scorer for the Rebels down the stretch, averaging 15.4 points and 4.8 assists in a five-game span in February, including a career-high 21 points at Tennessee.
Ayers was also instrumental in the development of second-team All-SEC honoree Crystal Allen during his first season, who left as one of the best individual scorers in Ole Miss history during her one season with the Rebels. Allen’s scoring exploded at Ole Miss, leading the team with 18.4 points per game, the third-best in the SEC in 2018-19. Allen also led the SEC in free throw percentage (.830), helped greatly by a streak of 47 in a row from Jan. 10 to Feb. 3, which was the longest streak in the NCAA at the time.
His track record in the development of point guards has proven to be successful at the next level, with both Allen and Nesbitt taking their talents overseas to play professionally in Europe.
Prior to Ole Miss, Ayers was a graduate manager at Georgia Tech for the 2017-18 season, where he assisted with scouting and player development, in addition to day-to-day duties with the coaching staff. Georgia Tech was coming off a 20-14 season that saw a trip to the third round of the WNIT.
Ayers spent most of the last decade cultivating an impressive resume in the high school and AAU ranks before joining the Georgia Tech program last season. Ayers was simultaneously an assistant coach of the Nike Essence AAU team and the assistant coach of the boys varsity team at Godby High School in Tallahassee, Florida, from 2008-17. He then served as the girls varsity assistant coach at Hapeville Charter Career Academy during the 2016-17 season.
Ayers helped coach Essence to a 2012 Nike Silver Division national title, and he took the Breakdown boys AAU team to back-to-back national titles in 2007 and 2008. Ayers was also part of a 2015 state title team at Godby. All told, Ayers has coached more than 100 athletes who went on to play either collegiately, professionally or both.
Ayers graduated from Florida A&M in 2008 with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. Ayers and his wife, Jasmine, have three children: a daughter, Khierstin, a son, Chris Jr., and a daughter, Alaiya.
