University of Maine head women's basketball coach Richard Barron has announced the hiring of  Jill Poe as assistant coach and recruiting coordinator with the women's basketball program. Poe comes to Maine with over 17 years of experience at the Division I level.

"I am very excited to announce the hiring of Jill Poe as our assistant coach and recruiting coordinator," commented coach Barron. "Jill has a tremendous backgound in women's basketball as both a head coach and an assistant. Jill has taken a team to NCAA tournaments and conference championships as a head coach and has worked well with successful head coaches in the A-10, CAA, and C-USA conferences. Jill knows the job and brings instant organization and coordination to our recruiting efforts. She also provides me with an experienced colleague that I can lean on in a variety of ways."

"I am grateful to have the opportunity to work at such special place," said Poe. "Maine has an enormous sense of pride when it comes to this program and the overwhelming community support is so impressive. Everyone I've met here has been great and just welcomed me with open arms into the Black Bear family. It is a privilege to get to work with Richard Barron, a coach I have such high respect for and I know he is the right man for the job. I am excited to join his staff and to play a part in his plan to reignite the passion and excitement for this program."

Poe comes to Maine with a wealth of coaching knowledge and experience as she has 17 years in the field of coaching at the Division I level. Most recently, Poe spent the 2010 season at East Carolina University as their director of video services and scouting. Prior to her time at East Carolina, Poe was an assistant coach at the University of North Carolina-Wilmington from 2007-2010. While at UNC-Wilmington, Poe coached Brittany Blackwell to CAA Rookie of the Year and Second Team All-CAA honors.

Poe spent the 2003-2007 seasons as the head women's basketball coach at St. Francis University, where she guided the Red Flash to a pair of Northeast Conference regular season and tournament titles and advanced to the NCAA Tournament on two seperate occasions. While at St. Francis, Poe was instrumental in the development of a NEC Player of the Year as well as a pair of NEC Tournament Most Valuable Players.

Before taking over the reigns at St. Francis, Poe spent the 1996-2003 years as an assistant basketball coach at Duquesne. Poe started her development into her coaching career by coaching high school and AAU teams in the Northern Virginia Area from 1989-1996 after getting her start as a student assistant women's basketball coach with her alma mater West Virginia Mountaineers from 1985-1987.

Poe, who earned a B.S. in Physical Education from West Virginia in 1989, has devoted an abundance of time in a variety of clinics throughout her years of coaching including participating in YES (Youth Education through Sports) clinics and Coaches vs. Cancer clinics.

She was formally a top 25 poll voter for the WBCA and USA Today from 2005-07 while also being a Women's Basketball Coaches Association member.