Lakan Hasser-Smith

Lakan Hasser-Smith enters her second season as the Director of Video / Recruiting Assistant with Purdue Women's Basketball. Hasser-Smith's first campaign in West Lafayette say the Boilermakers return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2018, while picking up back-to-back road wins over No. 22 Illinois and No. 2 Ohio State, the latter being the program's first true road win over an AP top-5 team. Hasser-Smith also helped bring in the Boilermakers' signing class of five in November that was ranked No. 21 by ESPNW. Purdue later added to the firepower of the group when top-50 recruit Amiyah Reynolds signed for the Boilermakers in May.  After a standout playing career at McCutcheon High School and Marian, Hasser-Smith moved into the coaching ranks as an assistant for five seasons under Gearlds with the Knights. Over nine seasons at Marian as a player and a coach, Hasser-Smith won 244 games, two NAIA National Championships, 10 Crossroads League titles and made seven appearances in the NAIA Tournament.   During her five campaigns as an assistant coach on Gearlds’ staff, Hasser-Smith helped guide the team to a 2017 NAIA National Championship and eight league titles. Ten Knights garnered All-America honors while she was on staff, as well as 22 All-Crossroads League selections. She also served as an assistant strength and conditioning coach for three seasons. Hasser-Smith’s jump to the coaching ranks came on the heels of one of the best careers in Marian history. The program’s all-time leading scorer with 2,000 points, she averaged 15 points, 3.9 rebounds 2.5 assists and 1.2 steals per game. Hasser-Smith led Marian to a Crossroads League Tournament title in 2014-15, before leading the Knights to the 2016 NAIA National Championship, the first in program history. Hasser-Smith was named an All-American and Crossroads League Player of the Year in 2016 and garnered three All-Crossroad League nods. She still owns the records for most points scored and field goals made in a career and single season. She graduated with a degree in sports performance in 2016. Prior to playing at Marian, Hasser-Smith broke the McCutcheon school record with 1,416 and was tabbed the All-Area Player of the Year, three-time all-conference and an IBCA First Team All-State.