
Kendal Muxlow, Lauren Ross
Photo by: Jim Whitcraft
Kendal Muxlow and Lauren Ross Join Mastodon Women's Basketball Coaching Staff
7/1/2025 10:44:00 AM | Women's Basketball
FORT WAYNE, Ind. - A pair of familiar faces will be on the sidelines for Purdue Fort Wayne women's basketball games this season. Head coach Maria Marchesano announced that Kendal Muxlow and Lauren Ross will have been hired for assistant coach roles for the 2025-26 season.
"I am very excited to welcome two former Mastodons back to Fort Wayne!" Marchesano said.
Muxlow was a member of the Purdue Fort Wayne women's basketball program for the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons before medically retiring. She stayed with the program as a manager then moved into the Director of Operations role for the 2023-24 season. After spending the last year outside of athletics to teach in Indianapolis, Muxlow is returning to the Gates Sports Center as an assistant coach. The Brown City, Michigan native earned a bachelor's degree in elementary education in 2023 and a master's degree in education in 2024.
"Having Kendal rejoin our staff is a huge blessing because of the organization and clarity she brings to each week," Marchesano said. "She is always one step ahead and we are excited to have her back in an operations role as well as taking on an even bigger role with recruiting and retention. She just makes all of our jobs easier and I can't express enough how valuable that is."
Ross spent her final year of eligibility with the Mastodons in 2024-25 and left her mark on the program's record book. She became the first player in NCAA history to lead the country in both 3-point percentage (47.6) and free throw percentage (94.8), while both percentages were top-30 marks in NCAA history. She was named the Horizon League Newcomer of the Year and was a First Team selection. Ross spent three years at Western Michigan and one at Michigan State prior to playing for Purdue Fort Wayne. She was named an Academic All-American twice in her career, the second of which was while at Purdue Fort Wayne. Ross was the first Mastodon to earn the honor in a decade. The Muskegon, Michigan native earned a bachelor's degree in psychology from Western Michigan in 2023 and will complete her master's degree in organizational leadership from Purdue Fort Wayne while coaching.
"When we found out that Lauren wanted to stay with the team in any capacity we were ecstatic!" Marchesano said. "She is a dedicated and relentless worker and her knowledge of our systems and processes is just an added bonus. She's a basketball junkie and a natural for this position. I'm excited to see the impact she'll have on this side of the game."
Muxlow, Ross, and the 2025-26 edition of the Mastodons will open the season in November.
"I am very excited to welcome two former Mastodons back to Fort Wayne!" Marchesano said.
Muxlow was a member of the Purdue Fort Wayne women's basketball program for the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons before medically retiring. She stayed with the program as a manager then moved into the Director of Operations role for the 2023-24 season. After spending the last year outside of athletics to teach in Indianapolis, Muxlow is returning to the Gates Sports Center as an assistant coach. The Brown City, Michigan native earned a bachelor's degree in elementary education in 2023 and a master's degree in education in 2024.
"Having Kendal rejoin our staff is a huge blessing because of the organization and clarity she brings to each week," Marchesano said. "She is always one step ahead and we are excited to have her back in an operations role as well as taking on an even bigger role with recruiting and retention. She just makes all of our jobs easier and I can't express enough how valuable that is."
Ross spent her final year of eligibility with the Mastodons in 2024-25 and left her mark on the program's record book. She became the first player in NCAA history to lead the country in both 3-point percentage (47.6) and free throw percentage (94.8), while both percentages were top-30 marks in NCAA history. She was named the Horizon League Newcomer of the Year and was a First Team selection. Ross spent three years at Western Michigan and one at Michigan State prior to playing for Purdue Fort Wayne. She was named an Academic All-American twice in her career, the second of which was while at Purdue Fort Wayne. Ross was the first Mastodon to earn the honor in a decade. The Muskegon, Michigan native earned a bachelor's degree in psychology from Western Michigan in 2023 and will complete her master's degree in organizational leadership from Purdue Fort Wayne while coaching.
"When we found out that Lauren wanted to stay with the team in any capacity we were ecstatic!" Marchesano said. "She is a dedicated and relentless worker and her knowledge of our systems and processes is just an added bonus. She's a basketball junkie and a natural for this position. I'm excited to see the impact she'll have on this side of the game."
Muxlow, Ross, and the 2025-26 edition of the Mastodons will open the season in November.
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