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University of Maryland Athletics

Carley Kuhns headshot

Carley Kuhns

Two-time national coach of the year Brenda Frese added Carley Kuhns (car-lee koonz) to her staff as a new assistant coach for the Maryland women’s basketball program in the spring of 2025.

Kuhns comes to College Park after leading the Samford women’s basketball program for the last six seasons. Kuhns led the Bulldogs to two SoCon championships and two appearances in the NCAA Tournament. Kuhns was named SoCon Coach of the Year in both 2020 and 2021.

"We are thrilled to welcome Carley, her husband Matt, and their children Carsten, Kyler and Cohen to our Maryland family,” head coach Brenda Frese said. “What a huge opportunity for us to hire someone like Carley with so much experience in our profession and who has been a head coach, which is something I value. Carley coached Maryland alum, Sarah Myers for a season and worked with my assistant, Coach Fratz, and they both gave her great reviews. Carley has a proven track record and knows what it takes to win.  She will be a tremendous asset for our student-athletes and program and will be able to hit the ground running. I'm excited about what she will bring to our program."  

In her first season as Samford’s head coach in 2019-20, Kuhns engineered a dramatic turnaround in the program. After winning just 10 games the season before, the Bulldogs went 18-14 in Kuhns’ debut season. Despite being picked seventh in the Southern Conference’s preseason polls, the Bulldogs won a share of the SoCon regular-season title, the first in the history of the program. Samford then won the SoCon Tournament for just the third time in program history. With the SoCon Tournament title, the Bulldogs earned the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
    
"I am incredibly excited and deeply grateful to join this staff and become part of the Maryland family,” Kuhns said. “I'd like to sincerely thank Coach Frese for her trust and belief in me. She's a proven winner, and this program reflects her remarkable ability to 'win with people.' I'm looking forward to joining the staff—they've all been so welcoming, and I can't wait to work alongside them every day. Maryland Women's Basketball is truly an elite program that values and champions women's basketball at the highest level. My family and I are thrilled to become part of this tradition of excellence.”

Prior to her time at Samford, Kuhns spent three seasons as head coach at Valdosta State. In her three seasons at VSU, Kuhns posted a record of 66-29. She led her teams to two NCAA Tournament appearances, including a Sweet 16 appearance in 2018 and one Gulf South Conference Tournament title in 2017.
     
Her 2018-19 squad finished with a record of 21-10 overall and 16-6 in GSC play. The season marked her third-straight 20-plus-win season. The team reached the finals of the GSC Tournament for the second time in her three seasons at the helm of the program.
     
In Kuhns’ second season in 2017-18, she led the Lady Blazers to a 23-9 record in the regular season, and 15-5 in conference play. VSU made an impressive run in the NCAA Tournament, reaching the Sweet 16. 
   
Kuhns was a student-athlete at Valdosta State from 2004 through 2008, earning multiple honors, including becoming the first Lady Blazer since 2001 to be named a Kodak/State Farm WBCA Honorable Mention All-American. She scored 1,133 career points, the 16th-most in program history and was a two-time First Team All-Gulf South Conference selection. Her 262 three-pointers earned her the school record in the category and placed her fifth all-time in Gulf South Conference history.

Kuhns earned her Bachelor’s in Physical Education from Valdosta State in 2008 and completed her Master’s in Higher Education Leadership in 2010. She and her husband Matt, who also played basketball at Valdosta State, have three daughters, Carsten, Kyler and Cohen.
    
Personal Information
  • Full Name: Carley Kuhns
  • Hometown: Lilburn, Georgia
  • Education: Valdosta State University, 2008 (physical education); Valdosta State University 2010 (Master's in Higher Education Leadership)
Playing Experience
  • 2004-08: Valdosta State University 
Coaching Experience
  • 2008-10: Valdosta State, Graduate Assistant
  • 2010-16: Belmont, Assistant Coach
  • 2016-2019: Valdosta State, Head Coach
  • 2019-2025: Samford, Head Coach
  • 2025-present: Maryland, Assistant Coach
Updated August 13, 2025