Villarreal joins Tech as Director of Basketball Operations
May 09, 2025 | Women's Basketball
LUBBOCK, Texas – Texas Tech head coach Krista Gerlich has announced the hiring of Ashlee Villarreal as the new Director of Basketball Operations (DOBO) for the Lady Raiders.
"We are excited to welcome Ashlee Villarreal back home as our Director of Basketball Operations. A Texas Tech alum and formerly a student and graduate manager for the Lady Raider program, our fan base will instantly connect with Ashlee's passion that runs deep for all things West Texas," Gerlich said. "She has worked for the last six years for one of the most respected coaches in the business in Nell Fortner at Georgia Tech and she brings great knowledge and experience in the day-to-day operations of running an elite women's basketball program. Ashlee will be a connector for our players, staff, donors and fans and we look forward to welcoming her back to Lubbock."
Villarreal served as the DOBO on the Georgia Tech women's basketball staff for the past six seasons after being hired there in June 2019. Prior to this, Villarreal spent a season with the Central Michigan women's basketball staff (2018-19) in the same position.
While with the Yellow Jackets, Villarreal oversaw all logistical needs for the team, including travel, lodging, meals, team and staff calendars, fundraising efforts and event planning, budgets, equipment and more. She coordinated the team camps in the summer, helped with game day and event operations and optimized schedules to help with team efficiency. In that role at Central Michigan, Villarreal was in charge of the same things while also assisting the team with marketing efforts and compliance regulations.
In 2017-18, Villarreal served as a graduate assistant for the Lady Raiders while getting a master's degree in sport management in 2019. In this position, Villarreal created and distributed recruiting graphics and materials, helped with individual skill sessions as well as player and team scheduling, hired student managers and coordinated basketball camp and compliance paperwork.
Villarreal graduated with a bachelor's degree in sport management from Texas Tech University in 2017 and was a basketball letterwinner at Western Texas College in 2014-15.