A nationally known presence in recruiting, Associate Head Coach Betsy Yonkman was with Mizzou for four seasons, 2001-2005.
Before coaching at MU, Yonkman spent six seasons as an assistant coach at Rutgers University under head coach C. Vivian Stringer.
Yonkman's duties at Missouri included recruiting, player development, scouting opponents, scheduling, public relations and assisting with the day-to-day operations of the basketball program. On the floor, she worked with the guards.
With the help of Yonkman, MU's recruiting efforts yielded impressive results. The freshmen who comprised Mizzou's 2004 class all came to Columbia with outstanding resumes. Kassie Drew finished her career as the No. 4 leading scorer in Illinois prep history; Crystal Howard was a three-time All-State selection in Nebraska; and Brittany Mannings was a four-time All-State selection in the state of Missouri.
While at Rutgers, Yonkman played an integral part in attracting several of the nation's top recruiting classes every year. The 2000-01 recruiting class was ranked second nationally. The outstanding recruiting efforts paid off for the Scarlet Knights, who went a combined 100-32 in those four seasons, including reaching the Final Four in 2000.
A 1986 graduate of Central Michigan University, Yonkman was a standout both athletically and academically at CMU. She was honored as Women's College Player of the Year by the state of Michigan Basketball Advisory Council in her final year, was named a Mid-American Conference Female Scholar Athlete, and was awarded a prestigious NCAA Post-Graduate Scholarship.
Yonkman led the Chippewas to two conference championships and two NCAA Tournament appearances in 1983 and 1984. She was a two-time all-MAC selection and ranked among the Top 10 in the CMU career records in scoring, assists, free throws, steals and rebounds.
Yonkman, a native of Kaleva, Mich., began her coaching career as an assistant coach for Traverse City (Mich.) High School for one season (1986-87), and moved to Eastern Michigan for four seasons (1987-91), where she earned a master's degree in 1989. She then coached at Central Michigan, her alma mater, for three seasons (1992-95), before joining Rutgers for the 1995-96 season.