Coaching Staff
Dobee Plaisance
Head Coach
Season At LU: 13th
Alma Mater: Southern Mississippi
Under the dynamic leadership of head coach Dobee Plaisance, the Loyola women’s basketball team enters its thirteenth year as an intercollegiate team.
In 2006-07, Plaisance led the Wolfpack to their first conference regular season and tournament championships, as well as the team’s second berth in the NAIA national championship tournament. Loyola finished 2006-07 with a 25-9 record, and Plaisance was named the GCAC’s Coach of the Year in 2007.
During the hurricane-shortened 2005-06 season, Plaisance picked up her 100th career win at Mobile with a 67-62 victory over the Lady Rams. The Wolfpack ended 2005-06 with a 9-5 record and a trip to the GCAC Tournament semifinals.
In the summer of 2006, Plaisance was named a court coach for the U.S National U-18 team. She was also invited to attend the USA Women’s Coaching Summit at the USA Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Plaisance was a four-year starter throughout her college career, playing two years at the University of New Orleans and two years at Southeastern Louisiana University.
From SLU, she went on to the University of Southern Mississippi and worked as a Student Assistant Coach, while completing her bachelor’s degree from the school of health, physical education, and recreation, with an emphasis in exercise physiology.
Upon graduation, she was hired by the Tulane University women’s basketball team as the top assistant. She worked there for three years, gaining the experience and knowledge that would get her hired as St. Martin Episcopal High School basketball coach.
At. St. Martin’s she amassed an impeccable record for winning seasons. For seven of her eight years with the Saints, she brought her team to the state playoffs. In 1993, they went undefeated (36-0) and won St. Martin’s first ever state championship in women’s basketball. She repeated this performance in 1994 capturing the state title and holding a strong record of 34-4.
While helping her St. Martin’s team excel, Plaisance also received the State Coach of the Year Award in 1994, Metro and Eastbank Coach of the Year for 1992 and 1993 and was District Coach of the Year for seven of her eight years.
Plaisance also coached the New Orleans Southern Belles in the Amateur Athletic Union. In previous years, Plaisance’s teams have made six state championship appearances, won a BCI National Championship in 1998, have made nine Final Four appearances at the national level, won the AAU/NIC National Championship in 1997 and 2000, and a YBOA Shoot-out National Championship in 1996.
In 2006, she was an assistant on the New Orleans Domino’s U-13 team that won the state championship.
The 2007 Dominos squad earned an AAU state championship, two super-regional championships, an Adidas Showcase National Championship and an eighth place finish out of 72 teams in the AAU National Championships in West Virginia.
At the Adidas Showcase, Plaisance coached her daughter, Theresa, who was named the MVP of the tournament and selected to play in the Adidas All-American Top Ten and Nike Elite Exposure event.
Coach Plaisance has lived all of her life in metro New Orleans. She is married to Scott Plaisance. The couple has two children, Theresa and Scott, Jr.
Alton Clivens
Assistant Coach
Alton Clivens begins his sixth year as assistant basketball coach for the Loyola women’s basketball team.
During his tenure with the Wolfpack, Loyola has had three 20-plus win seasons, including a program record 25 wins in 2006-07 that earned the Wolfpack their first GCAC regular season and tournament championships. They also qualified for the NAIA National Tournament in 2004-05 and 2006-07.
“Alton is a tremendous asset to our program. He works tirelessly in all aspects of our program and is an excellent student of the game. His passion is unmatched and we are fortunate to have him on our staff,” said head coach DoBee Plaisance.
Clivens coached four seasons with the New Orleans Southern Belles AAU organization. The 2003-04 Belles squad qualified for the AAU National Tournament. In 2005-06 he led the Belles to third place in the AAU Tournament.
Clivens prepped at Brother Martin High School. His ability to understand the game helped him lead his high school team to the state playoffs.
After high school, Clivens went to Texas A&M where he graduated with a degree in Management Information Systems.
Clivens’s duties include assisting in all aspects of the program.
Jessica Barber
Assistant Coach
Email: jnbarber@loyno.edu
Jessica Barber begins her first season as an assistant coach for the Loyola women’s basketball team.
Barber comes to Loyola after spending last season as the head coach at Franklinton (La.) High School. Under Barber’s guidance, the Lady Demon’s went 13-12 in 2006 after finishing 3-21 the season prior to her arrival.
She also has previous experience as an assistant coach for the New Orleans Domino’s AAU team as well as UMS-Wright High School in Mobile, Alabama.
“We are thrilled to have Jessica join our program as an assistant coach. She is a student of the game with ties to our league and the area. She will be a great addition to our staff and the university,” said Coach Plaisance.
Barber, a Franklinton native, was a point guard for the University of Mobile from 2001-2005. During her collegiate career, she set the all time assists record for the Rams.
The Gulf Coast Athletic Conference named her to the academic team in 2002, 2003, 2004, and2005. She was a member of Mobile’s 2002 GCAC championship team.
Barber earned a bachelor’s of science degree in human performance and exercise science from Mobile in 2006.
