Former Bryan basketball star Tilmila Martin is returning to her hometown to become an assistant coach at Rudder for her former high school coach, John Shelton.

Martin, who finished her playing career at Texas Tech and graduated this year, is one of two new coaches on Shelton's staff with the Lady Rangers. Rudder also has added Mike Floyd, a veteran with three head coaching stops.

Shelton chose Martin and Floyd to replace Carlos Daniels and Rachel Layton, who helped Rudder go 29-7 and reach the Class 3A regional semifinals last season in the school's second season at the varsity level. Daniels accepted an assistant coaching job in Mexia to be able to care for his ailing father. Layton retired from coaching to spend more time with her family.

"Carlos had been with me for 10 years and you don't replace him, but replacing him with Tilmila Martin is a pretty good deal," Shelton said. "To have a role model on your staff like Tilmila Martin, who played Big 12 basketball ... I don't think a coach could ask for anything more. The kids already know who she is. They were really disappointed when Carlos left, but they were really excited when they found out Tilmila was coming in."

Martin was a two-time district most valuable player and an All-Brazos Valley selection at Bryan. The 5-foot-6 guard played one season at Kilgore College and one at Blinn College, where she was team MVP and a third-team All-American after leading the Lady Bucs to a 26-6 record.

She spent two years at Tech, playing in all 65 games. Martin started 19 of 32 games as a senior and was fourth on the team in scoring with an average of 5.9 points.

"It's good to be back home," Martin said. "It's a little weird to be on Coach Shelton's staff since I played for him, but I know everything he expects from these girls. As hard as he pushed me, I know.

"I just want to be an encouragement to each one of them and tell them that they can make it, that there's a good education out there through playing basketball."

Martin will work primarily with Rudder's guards.

"What's great is she knows the system," Shelton said. "We're doing the same thing that we did when she was playing."

Floyd joined the Rudder staff in a non-coaching position last year. His previous head coaching jobs were at Hamlin, Valley Mills and Borden County. He also served as an assistant coach at McMurry University.