Bowling Green State University women’s basketball head coach Fred Chmiel has announced four more additions to his staff. Lexxus Graham, Audra Clark, Tim Kjar and Zhaque Gray have joined the Falcons in various capacities.

Graham joins Chmiel’s staff as an assistant coach, while Clark is the program’s video coordinator. Kjar is the Falcons’ director of basketball operations, with Gray the team’s director of player personnel.

“We are so excited to have Lexxus, Audra, Tim and Zhaque join our program,” said Chmiel. “With Lexxus, we took our time with this position and found a great fit. She has incredible energy and is a determined recruiter and coach. Lexxus will be a great asset to our young women on and off the court.

“We couldn’t be more pleased that Audra chose BG to continue her young career. She has a wealth of experiences and a youthful exuberance that will assist us in a variety of ways.

“Tim has a great deal of experience throughout his career from the coaching and administrative levels. He has strong ties to the Midwest and is a tireless, high-character and self-motivated individual. We are thrilled to have him as our director of basketball operations.

“Zhaque has chosen a career path in basketball with a driven determination that translates to her work ethic. She will be a great resource for our young women on and off the court.”

Lexxus Graham

Graham joins the Falcons after spending the 2022-23 season as an assistant coach at Wittenberg University. The Tigers’ staff was named the North Coast Athletic Conference’s 2023 Coaching Staff of the Year honors. Wittenberg earned a share of the NCAC championship with a league record of 13-1, and the Tigers went 21-5 overall.

Prior to her season at Wittenberg, Graham spent the 2021-22 campaign as the first-ever Director of Basketball Operations for the Bellarmine University women’s basketball team. That came after she served as an assistant coach on the staff at Georgetown College (Ky.).

“I am ecstatic to announce my acceptance of this position at BGSU,” said Graham. “Joining this esteemed program under the leadership of Coach Fred Chmiel is an incredible opportunity, and I am eager to contribute to its continued success.

“I want to express my deepest gratitude to Derek van der Merwe, Stacy Kosciak and Coach Chmiel for placing their trust in me and giving me this remarkable opportunity.

“Coach Chmiel’s extensive knowledge, passion for the game, and unwavering commitment to developing athletes are truly inspiring. I am humbled to work alongside such a respected and accomplished coach and look forward to learning from his expertise.

“I would also like to extend my appreciation to my previous coach at Wittenberg University, Coach Melissa Kolbe. Her guidance and support have been instrumental in shaping and preparing me for this new chapter.

“I am excited about the new challenges and possibilities that await me at BGSU. With the support of Coach Chmiel, Coach DiPillo, Coach Lucas, the talented athletes, and the BGSU community, I am ready to make a positive impact and help add to the success of this program.”

Graham began her coaching career at her high-school alma mater, George Rogers Clark (Ky.), from 2018-20. She assisted with both the varsity and junior varsity teams while overseeing the freshman team during her time with the girls’ program. Graham helped guide the Cardinals to a pair of district and regional championships.

A native of Winchester, Ky., Graham was a standout player at Campbellsville University (Ky.), where she played in a total of 133 career games. The guard averaged 6.4 points per game during her tenure while sinking 173 three-pointers and amassing 227 steals. As a senior, Graham earned Mid-South Conference Academic All-Conference honors.

Graham helped lead Campbellsville to tremendous team success. The Tigers went 117-25 overall in her career, including 44-12 in the MSC. They were the NAIA national runner-up in her freshman year in 2015 and advanced to the Elite Eight, Final Four and Sweet 16 over her final three seasons.

Graham played varsity basketball for six years in high school at George Rogers Clark, where her team captured 40th District and 10th Region titles while advancing to a Final Four at the KHSAA state tournament. She earned district and regional All-Tournament Team accolades and was an honorable-mention selection at the Sweet 16. Graham tied the state record in the state tournament by hitting seven 3-pointers in one game. She was inducted into the 10th Region Hall of Fame in 2021.

Graham earned a bachelor’s degree in sport management at Campbellsville in 2018. She was a member of the Dean’s List from 2016-18.

Audra Clark

Clark comes to BGSU after spending the last two seasons as an assistant coach at SUNY Cortland. The Red Dragons, coached by former BGSU assistant coach Jacey Brooks during that time, had an overall record of 45-11 and a State University of New York Athletic Conference record of 32-4.

“I am honored to be joining such a talented staff of coaches who are dedicated to the success of the student-athletes,” said Clark. “I am excited to collaborate and learn from them as well as be part of a strong culture.

“Bowling Green has had great success and I am thrilled to be a part of this program and this community.”

In the 2021-22 campaign, Clark was part of the SUNYAC Coaching Staff of the Year as the Red Dragons won the SUNYAC regular-season title and earned an NCAA at-large berth. Cortland went 21-6 overall and 16-2 in the league.

The ‘22-23 season saw the Red Dragons post a 24-5 overall mark and another 16-2 league ledger. Cortland won the league tournament title for the first time since 2010 and advanced to the NCAA Division III Tournament’s second round.

Prior to her two years at Cortland, Clark served as an assistant coach at Oswego State from 2019-21 and coached the Minnesota Metro Stars AAU Club in 2018-19.

Clark is a 2019 graduate of St. Catherine University in St. Paul, Minn., where one of her coaches was Tim Kjar. Clark was a four-year starting point guard and a team captain in her junior and senior seasons.

Clark is the school’s career leader with 1,483 points and 379 assists, and ranks third with 199 steals. She earned four Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) all-conference honors; she was a first team selection as a junior and senior and an honorable mention choice as a freshman and sophomore. Clark also earned a spot on the 2014-15 MIAC All-Freshman Team.

A native of Kenyon, Minn., Clark is a 2014 alumna of Kenyon-Wanamingo H.S. She competed in basketball, volleyball and golf on the scholastic level, and was a three-time all-conference and all-area basketball player and 1,000-point scorer.

Tim Kjar

Kjar joins the Falcons after serving as athletic director at Quarry Lane School in Dublin, Calif., since August of 2020. Prior to that, he spent seven years as a coach and Assistant AD at St. Catherine University in St. Paul, Minn.

“I am thrilled to continue my college basketball career at BGSU with Coach Chmiel at the helm,” said Kjar. “His winning mentality and passion for the game brings out the best in all of us, and we will all work tirelessly to propel the program to new heights.”

He joined St. Catherine in 2013, and was instrumental in the program’s turnaround. Kjar helped the Wildcats to a fifth place finish overall in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) in 2016-17, their most successful season since 2006-07.

The Wildcats landed in the MIAC postseason tournament again in 2017-18, finishing sixth overall. Prior to the back to back appearances, the Wildcats had not reached postseason competition since the 2009-10 season.

In addition to working with the basketball team, Kjar also worked as an assistant recruiting for the Wildcat softball program in 2014 and 2015, and served as an assistant with the St. Kate’s tennis program.

That stint (2013-20) was Kjar’s second at St. Kate’s, as he led the Wildcat basketball team from 1999-2006. During that time, her rebuilt the school’s basketball program and helped lead the team to its first winning season since the late 1970s when the Wildcats finished the 2002-03 season with a 14-11 record. Kjar also coached nine MIAC All-Conference players.

Kjar spent time as the Associate AD during his first stint at St. Catherine, and was also Assistant Tennis Coach from 2000-05. The Wildcats finished in the top four in the MIAC in four out of five seasons and qualified for the NCAA tournament in 2004.

Before returning to St. Catherine, Kjar served as the Athletic and Physical Education Director and Head Boys Basketball Coach at Jewish Community High School of the Bay in San Francisco, Calif.

In his coaching role at JCHS, Kjar led the program to a league championship and earned five post-season berths from 2007-2013. As the athletics director, he managed all aspects of the school’s varsity programs and worked to add junior varsity teams, as well as additional participation opportunities for girls.

Kjar also was head women’s basketball coach at Riverland Community and Technical College in Austin, Minn., from 1995-99. In his final season at Riverland, Kjar led the program to its best record since 1991. He also produced three all-conference, two all-state, two all-region and two all-American players while at Riverland.

Kjar earned his bachelor’s degree in physical education at the University of Nebraska at Kearney.

Zhaque Gray

Gray joins Chmiel’s staff after spending the 2022-23 season as a graduate assistant at Saint Francis University in Loretto, Pa.

A standout player at Penn State who also played at the professional level, Gray joined the SFU staff after working in the private sector, including five-plus years as a pharmaceutical sales representative.

“I am very excited to join the BGSU family,” said Gray. “Coach Chmiel coached me at Penn State University, and we’ve known each other for years.

“He’s always been dedicated to making everyone that he comes in contact with better. I am honestly honored to work and learn from a head coach that embodies what it means to be a champion.

“We have a staff of great basketball minds and I look forward to learning, being an asset to the team, and continuing the rich winning tradition at BGSU.”

Gray played a season of professional basketball in Wasserburg, Germany, where she helped her team to a league championship.

In 2014, Gray made the training camp roster of the WNBA’s Chicago Sky. She was among more than 40 players who attended a Sky open tryout session, and became the first open-tryout participant in franchise history to earn an invite to training camp.

Gray played collegiate basketball at Penn State from 2008-12, where she was an All-Big Ten Honorable Mention selection and finished her career seventh in program history with 149 three-point field goals made.

After coming off the bench to play in all but one game as a freshman in 2008-09, Gray made nine starts and averaged 5.0 points per game as the Lions went 17-14 and advanced to the WNIT in her sophomore season of 2009-10.

In Gray’s final two seasons, Penn State went a combined 51-17, with a 25-10 mark in her junior season of 2010-11. That season saw Gray start all 35 games and average 9.5 ppg while hitting 63 three-point field goals, good for second on the team, as the Lions finished second in the Big Ten Conference and advanced to the NCAA Tournament’s second round.

In 2011-12, Penn State went 26-7 overall and won the Big Ten title with a 13-3 league ledger. Gray started all 33 games and was third on the team with 10.6 ppg. She hit 48 three-pointers, again ranking second on the club, and helped PSU to the NCAA Tournament’s Round of 16.

In addition to finishing her career on the school’s three-point list, Gray also was among the PSU career leaders in free-throw percentage (.782; 104-of-133).

While at Penn State, Gray was teammates with Maggie Lucas during her final two seasons, while Fred Chmiel was an assistant coach with the Lions during those same two years.

A native of Chicago, Gray is a graduate of John Hope College Preparatory H.S., where she helped the Eagles to three Chicago Public League championships and was the only unanimous selection to the 3A All-State First Team in her senior season of 2007-08