LEBANON, Ill. – Head Women's Basketball Coach Kari Kerkhoff has announced on Thursday, August 21st, the addition of Michaela Cloonan and the return of Lindsey Eimers as the program's newest graduate assistant coaches.
"I am thrilled to join McKendree Women's Basketball as the new Graduate Assistant," said Cloonan. "My playing career showed me firsthand the impact great coaches can have, and that is what drew me to the opportunity to learn from Coach Kerkhoff and Coach Helm. They have built a strong culture that challenges players to excel on the court while also growing as individuals. I am excited to keep developing as a coach, support our players, and continue helping to build something special at McKendree!"
"I am so excited to be back with the McKendree Women's Basketball program as a Graduate Assistant," said Eimers. "I look forward to learning from the coaching staff and contributing to a successful season."
Both the new hires will help lead the bench under Kerkhoff, who is in her 11th season with the Bearcats, along with her assistant, Terra Helm, who is going into year number three.
MICHAELA CLOONAN
Cloonan has spent five years playing collegiate basketball with most recently playing one year as a graduate student at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida where she averaged 4.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game in a 27-7 season where the Sharks made the Sunshine State Conference (SSC) title game and advanced to NCAA South Region Championship where they concluded their season. They finished at No.18 in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Coaches Poll.
Prior to her time with the Sharks, she spent four years at Ursuline College in Pepper Pike, Ohio, playing a total of 95 games and officially starting 90 of them. Cloonan finished with 1,239 points on a 13.0 stint scoring average as she gave the Arrows 50 wins in her tenure, including an appearance in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) Tournament in 2023.
Cloonan accumulated several athletic achievements and recognition in her five years on the court, as in her lone year at Nova Southeastern, she was a Shark Scholar Athlete while appearing in 20 games.
She will be in the top 10 in the record books – 18 to be exact – for years to come at Ursuline, as she made her mark by being named the Athletic Department Player of the Year in the 2021-22 calendar year. She has won two G-MAC Second Team All-Conference honors in back-to-back seasons while receiving First Team All-Conference in her 2023-24 senior year. Cloonan also earned Academic All-Conference in all her four seasons.
The 1,000-point club scorer went from leading the team statistically in points, assists, and steals per game in 2021-22 to being selected with a Division II Athletic Directors Association Academic Achievement Award in 2022-23 to being bestowed as team captain in 2023-24.
The Kirkland, Ohio native has already gotten a head start on her coaching career as she was a basketball coach for Cleveland's The National Basketball Academy (TNBA) from 2020-2023. There, she coached 9th to 10th grade girls' AAU basketball teams, including participation in competitive exposure tournaments in Kentucky and Cincinnati. She developed and organized practice plans, implemented effective coaching strategies to enhance player development and team performance.
Cloonan led and facilitated summer and elite camps, including the Collin Sexton Skills Camp and TNBA Overnight Skills Camps as she served as a station leader, overseeing various activities and supervising overnight campers while scheduling and coordinating skills sessions with clients.
"We are excited to welcome Michaela Cloonan to our staff," said Kerkhoff. "She enjoyed a successful playing career as an All-Conference performer and Sweet 16 competitor, and she now brings that experience along with her coaching knowledge from the National Basketball Academy to our program. Michaela's competitiveness and commitment to excellence will be a tremendous asset to our student-athletes."
Cloonan received her Bachelor of Business Administration and Sport Management from Ursuline College in 2024 after registering a 4.0 GPA and being named a President's List honoree. She received her Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Nova Southeastern University in the spring of 2025 with a 3.96 GPA.
LINDSEY EIMERS
Eimers makes her return to Lebanon after spending one year away from campus. She came to McKendree back in 2020 and spent a season playing under Coach Kerkhoff, and medically retired from the game the following year due to injury.
Despite the hardship decision, she still remained an invaluable member of the team for the next few years, as she was kept as a student assistant under Kerkhoff. In the new bench role, Eimers handled a great deal of the team's operations and organization as she supported the logistics of traveling, assembled equipment, increased the development of her teammates via providing practice film, and helped lead numerous off-season workouts.
The involvement and dedication paid off immensely, as Eimers helped the team finish with a 20-9 overall record in the 2023-24 season, which is the first time the program finished with at least 20 wins in its NCAA Division II history, and the first overall since 2009-10. The former year was also the season when the team snagged their first-ever Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) major awards, including Coach of the Year (Kerkhoff) and Defensive Player of the Year (Naomi McDaniel), along with three selections on the GLVC All-Conference teams.
Prior to Bearcats, Eimers was a star player for Dubuque Senior High School in Dubuque, Iowa. There, she garnered first team all-state, second team all-state, and was selected to the all-region team in all four years with the Rams. She was also made the team captain, and at one point led the state in assists.
After graduating from McKendree, she spent a year as an Elementary Physical Education Teacher for both Berkeley Elementary School and Devon Forest Elementary School. Eimers was a key part of teaching and enhancing the student engagement and participation at both schools. She implemented workshops and assisted with physical education curriculums to help students better their fitness, teamwork skills, and nutrition habits.
"We are thrilled to welcome Lindsey Eimers back to McKendree Women's Basketball as a Graduate Assistant," said Kerkhoff. "Lindsey was an integral part of our success as a student coach, bringing strong basketball knowledge and a great understanding of our program. Her connection with our team is a tremendous asset, and we are excited for the impact she will make on our team this season."
Eimers earned her bachelor's degree from McKendree University in 2024, as she majored in Physical Education, where she earned the Distinguished Achievement Award. She was also honored with summa cum laude and was named to the President's List five times.
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