Chandler Merkerson

Assistant Coach

Chandler Merkerson enters her fourth season as an assistant coach for the Samford women’s basketball program. Merkerson is involved in all aspects of the women’s basketball program.

Merkerson was instrumental in the turnaround the program experienced during the 2019-20 season. After winning just 10 games the previous season, the Bulldogs posted a record of 18-14, and won the program’s first Southern Conference regular-season title with a 10-4 league record. The team then won the program’s third SoCon Tournament title.

In her second season on Kuhns staff, Samford Women’s Basketball was just as memorable as her first, as the Bulldogs marched to an 11-2 record in Southern Conference play and their second-straight regular season league championship which led to a trip to the WNIT in Memphis. While the Bulldogs finished the year 14-11 overall, Samford played one of its most difficult schedules in program history in the midst of a global pandemic. On the road to the league title, Andrea Cournoyer was named SoCon Player of the Year and a unanimous All-SoCon first team selection while Natalie Armstrong was named All-SoCon as well. Merkerson came to Samford after serving the last two seasons as an assistant coach at Valdosta State under current Samford Head Coach Carley Kuhns. She helped lead the program to a pair of 20-win seasons and one NCAA Tournament appearance.

Merkerson was heavily involved in player development and scouting during her time at VSU. She also oversaw the team’s academics and marketing.

Prior to her time at Valdosta State, Merkerson spent the 2016-17 season as an assistant coach at Truett McConnell University in Cleveland, Georgia. She began her coaching career as a graduate assistant at Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, Tennessee.

Merkerson played collegiately at the University of North Florida from 2010-2014. She earned her bachelor’s degree in sport management from UNF in August, 2014. She then earned an MBA from Lincoln Memorial in May, 2016.