Texas A&M Women's Basketball Coaching Staff

Joni Taylor

Head Coach

Texas A&M named 2021 SEC Coach of the Year Joni Taylor as the eighth women's basketball head coach in program history on March 23, 2022.

Taylor succeeds hall of famer Gary Blair and is inheriting a program that is one of eight schools in the past 20 years to have a national title. Over the past 19 seasons, the program won five conference titles and reached the NCAA Tournament 16 times.

The Meridian, Mississippi, native spent the first seven years of her head coaching career leading the Georgia women's basketball program. She amassed 140 victories with a .651 winning percentage and 64 wins in SEC play. Taylor took the Lady Bulldogs to four NCAA Tournaments, including top-four seeds in 2018 and 2021.

Chelsea Newton

Associate Head Coach

Chelsea Newton, a 13-year coaching veteran, was named associate head coach at Texas A&M in April of 2022.

Newton rejoins Joni Taylor in Aggieland after spending the past seven seasons as an assistant at Georgia. She helped the Lady Bulldogs land three top-15 recruiting classes and earn four NCAA Tournament bids. The Monroe, Louisiana, native comes from the coaching tree of Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer C. Vivian Stringer. Newton played under the legend from 2001-05 and coached on her staff from 2010-2015 at Rutgers.

Robert Mosley

Assistant Coach

Mosley spent the last 10 seasons as an assistant at Georgia, seven of which with Joni Taylor as the leader of the Lady Bulldogs. The Mobile, Alabama, native helped lead UGA to five NCAA Tournament runs, including an Elite Eight berth in 2013. Throughout his coaching career, he has helped lead his team to seven postseason tournaments and mentored 24 All-SEC selections.

While at Georgia, Mosley was responsible for mentoring the post position. He coached WNBA Draft picks Mackenzie Engram (2018) and Caliya Robinson (2019). He also helped develop Jenna Staiti into a two-time All-SEC performer, including a first-team selection at the conclusion of the 2021-22 season.

Prior to Athens, Mosley was a member of the Alabama coaching staff from 2010-12, where he made an immediate impact on the Tide's fortunes. Alabama advanced to the Sweet 16 of the 2011 Women’s National Invitational Tournament, the program's first postseason appearance since 2002. Individually, Tierney Jenkins was named first-team All-SEC after leading the league and finishing fourth nationally in double-doubles. In addition, Kaneisha Horn was named to the Freshman All-SEC Team.

Darius Taylor

Chief of Basketball Strategy & Roster Management

Darius Tayor was hired to the Texas A&M women's basketball staff as Chief of Basketball Strategy and Roster Management May 16, 2025 after an illustrious coaching and front office career in the NCAA and WNBA.

Taylor spent the last three years with the Connecticut Sun where he served as the chief basketball strategist and director of scouting (2024-25) and general manager (2022-2024). During his time with the franchise, the team finished second in the Eastern Conference and advanced to the semifinals in 2023 and 2024.

Prior to his time with the Sun, he was a part of the Atlanta Dream franchise in a number of roles from 2017-21. As an assistant coach for the Dream, Taylor helped the team advance to the conference finals of the 2018 playoffs. He also tutored Aggie great and former All-American Chennedy Carter to an All-Rookie Team selection. During the 2021 campaign, Taylor was elevated to interim head coach midway through the season and at the conclusion of the year transitioned to assistant general manager.

As assistant GM, Taylor and the Dream drafted Ryhne Howard with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 WNBA Draft, and she was later named the WNBA Rookie of the Year. Howard received 53-of-56 possible votes and was also an All-Star Game selection.

Before his time in the Atlanta, Taylor served as an advisor for AthLife, Inc. (2015-17), an organization specializing in providing career and education services for professional and post-professional athletes.

Alex Varlan

Assistant Coach

Alex Varlan joined the Texas A&M women's basketball staff as an assistant coach May 17, 2025.

Varlan comes to Aggieland from Florida Atlantic University women’s basketball where he spent the past three seasons. He coached for FAU as it transitioned to the American Athletic Conference prior to the 2023-24 season. Varlan oversaw the development of Mya Perry who led the program in 3-pointers made her first year and then earned an AAC Second Team All-Conference selection this past season, while leading the team in scoring in both campaigns.

The Knoxville native also helped guide Aniya Hubbard to become the program’s first ever Conference USA Freshman of the Year. Hubbard also garnered CUSA second team, all-defensive and all-freshman team honors during the 2022-23 campaign.

Prior to his time in Boca Raton, Varlan was an assistant coach at Northeastern University during the 2021-22 campaign where he assisted in leading the program to a postseason berth at the Women’s Basketball Invitational. As an assistant with the Huskies, Varlan was in charge of opponent scouting and recruiting.

Alexis Hyder

Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator

Alexis Hyder joined the Texas A&M women's basketball staff May 18, 2025, as Assistant Coach and Recruiting Coordinator.

Hyder comes to Texas A&M after spending the 2024-25 season at Utah State as an assistant coach. With the Aggies, Hyder helped secure an impressive transfer recruiting class this offseason, including former McDonald’s All-American Aaliyah Gayles.

Prior to Utah State, Hyder served as recruiting coordinator for Lindenwood University during the 2023-24 season. The Austin native assisted in the development of Ellie Brueggemann who garnered All-OVC Second Team Honors in her freshman year.

Hyder also acted as video coordinator for North Texas from 2022-23. The elite recruiter began her coaching career at FIU during the 2019-20 campaign as assistant director of basketball operations.

Hyder was a professional basketball player from 2017-22 oversees in Sweden, Australia and Greece. In Sweden, Hyder led the league in rebounds twice and still holds the league record for career rebounds. She was also the 2017-18 Swedish League Best Center.