Women's Basketball
Balerio, Tahnee
Tahnee Balerio
- Title:
- Associate Head Coach/Recruiting Coordinator
- Email:
- tbalerio@sports.uga.edu
- Phone:
- 706-542-1541
Career Highlights
- 14 seasons on Coach ABE’s staff
- 9 NCAA tournament bids
- 5 conference championship Teams
- Helped lead Georgia to its most wins in five years and a NCAA tournament appearance in first season with the Lady Bulldogs
- Developed Diamond Battles into an All-SEC guard
- Has mentored SEC All-Freshman Team selection Trinity Turner
- Georgia guards ranked fourth in the SEC in assists (15.0 per game) during the 2022-23 season; Alisha Lewis led the league with 4.6 apg
- Helped lead UCF and Albany to first NCAA tournament appearances
- Guided UCF and Albany to first NCAA tourney win and highest-ever seeding
- Knights won the 2022 American Athletic Conference regular season and conference tournament crowns
- Developed elite guards, including Diamond Battles, Kay Kay Wright and Zakiya Saunders
- Two-Time All-Conference selection as a player at Missouri State
- Team Captain, team MVP, Scholar-Athlete of the Year at Missouri State
- Led the MVC in scoring during the 2006-07 season
Tahnee Balerio (pronounced TAWN-ee buh-LARE-ee-oh), who has coached and developed some of the best point guards in the country, was named the associate head coach and recruiting coordinator for Georgia women's basketball on April 8, 2022.
A two-time All-Missouri Valley Conference selection, team captain and MVP as a player for Coach ABE at Missouri State, Balerio has spent the last decade and a half building programs into perennial winners. Her responsibilities include the development of the guards, recruiting and opponent scouting reports.
Balerio made an immediate impact in her first season at Georgia, leading the program to its most wins in five years, while helping develop Diamond Battles into an All-SEC guard. Overall, the Lady Bulldogs ranked fourth in the SEC in assists with 15.0 per contest, with Alisha Lewis leading all league players in that category.
“Tahnee is the best among today’s coaches,” Coach ABE said. “She is the entire package when it comes to recruiting, skill development and teaching the intellectual aspects of the game. Over the past 13 seasons, she has developed our guards into some of the best and most talented players in the nation. She is a relentless recruiter and someone players love. I am so excited to welcome Tahnee to Dawg Nation!”
“I am thrilled for the opportunity to coach at one of the top women’s basketball programs in the country,” Balerio said. “I have been fortunate to play and coach alongside Coach ABE throughout my career. She is truly a special person who has not only been my boss and mentor, but my family for over 20 years. Because of her relationships with her players and staff, she has built elite programs at each stop.
“When it comes to basketball, academics and the student-athlete experience, the University of Georgia has it all, and I am excited and honored to serve as this program’s associate head coach.”
Overall, Balerio’s teams have garnered nine NCAA tournament bids and won five conference crowns.
She was part of a staff that led UCF to five postseason appearances, three NCAA bids, and the 2022 American Athletic Conference regular season and conference titles. The Knights earned their first NCAA tournament appearance, first NCAA win and highest-ever seeding.
Throughout her career, Balerio has coached some of the top guards in the nation.
Under her guidance, Battles was named the 2022 AAC Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and AAC Tournament MVP, while Lewis was tabbed the 2021 Newcomer and Sixth Player of the Year.
Kay Kay Wright was named to the 2020 Nancy Lieberman Award Watch List and was recognized among the nation’s best with a spot on the Naismith Trophy National Player of the Year Watch List. Wright was a consensus first-team All-AAC selection and finished her career second in assists (494) and third in points (1,614) in UCF history. The Preseason AAC Player of the Year (the first in program history to earn that distinction) is the only Knight to score 1,600 points, dish out over 400 assists and record over 250 steals in her career.
Prior to her stint in Orlando, Balerio spent six seasons at Albany, serving as an assistant coach for four years and the director of operations for two seasons. Albany captured four America East regular seasons crowns during those six years. Balerio witnessed Imani Tate post the fourth-highest scoring season in program history as Zakiya Saunders —another all-conference selection — broke the school record for assists and ranked sixth in the NCAA with 6.9 assists per game.
Balerio played at Missouri State from 2005-08 under Coach ABE. She was a team captain, a two-time MVP, a two-time All-Conference selection and earned Scholar Athlete honors. Balerio led the Bears in scoring during the 2006-07 season, averaging 18.7 points per game – tops in the Missouri Valley Conference.
After graduation, she was the head junior varsity and assistant varsity coach at Hillcrest High School in Springfield, Mo.
Balerio earned her degree in entertainment management from Missouri State. She is married to Lily Grenci, and the couple has a one-year old daughter named Zelda Lynn Balerio, born March 23, 2022.
- 14 seasons on Coach ABE’s staff
- 9 NCAA tournament bids
- 5 conference championship Teams
- Helped lead Georgia to its most wins in five years and a NCAA tournament appearance in first season with the Lady Bulldogs
- Developed Diamond Battles into an All-SEC guard
- Has mentored SEC All-Freshman Team selection Trinity Turner
- Georgia guards ranked fourth in the SEC in assists (15.0 per game) during the 2022-23 season; Alisha Lewis led the league with 4.6 apg
- Helped lead UCF and Albany to first NCAA tournament appearances
- Guided UCF and Albany to first NCAA tourney win and highest-ever seeding
- Knights won the 2022 American Athletic Conference regular season and conference tournament crowns
- Developed elite guards, including Diamond Battles, Kay Kay Wright and Zakiya Saunders
- Two-Time All-Conference selection as a player at Missouri State
- Team Captain, team MVP, Scholar-Athlete of the Year at Missouri State
- Led the MVC in scoring during the 2006-07 season
Tahnee Balerio (pronounced TAWN-ee buh-LARE-ee-oh), who has coached and developed some of the best point guards in the country, was named the associate head coach and recruiting coordinator for Georgia women's basketball on April 8, 2022.
A two-time All-Missouri Valley Conference selection, team captain and MVP as a player for Coach ABE at Missouri State, Balerio has spent the last decade and a half building programs into perennial winners. Her responsibilities include the development of the guards, recruiting and opponent scouting reports.
Balerio made an immediate impact in her first season at Georgia, leading the program to its most wins in five years, while helping develop Diamond Battles into an All-SEC guard. Overall, the Lady Bulldogs ranked fourth in the SEC in assists with 15.0 per contest, with Alisha Lewis leading all league players in that category.
“Tahnee is the best among today’s coaches,” Coach ABE said. “She is the entire package when it comes to recruiting, skill development and teaching the intellectual aspects of the game. Over the past 13 seasons, she has developed our guards into some of the best and most talented players in the nation. She is a relentless recruiter and someone players love. I am so excited to welcome Tahnee to Dawg Nation!”
“I am thrilled for the opportunity to coach at one of the top women’s basketball programs in the country,” Balerio said. “I have been fortunate to play and coach alongside Coach ABE throughout my career. She is truly a special person who has not only been my boss and mentor, but my family for over 20 years. Because of her relationships with her players and staff, she has built elite programs at each stop.
“When it comes to basketball, academics and the student-athlete experience, the University of Georgia has it all, and I am excited and honored to serve as this program’s associate head coach.”
Overall, Balerio’s teams have garnered nine NCAA tournament bids and won five conference crowns.
She was part of a staff that led UCF to five postseason appearances, three NCAA bids, and the 2022 American Athletic Conference regular season and conference titles. The Knights earned their first NCAA tournament appearance, first NCAA win and highest-ever seeding.
Throughout her career, Balerio has coached some of the top guards in the nation.
Under her guidance, Battles was named the 2022 AAC Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and AAC Tournament MVP, while Lewis was tabbed the 2021 Newcomer and Sixth Player of the Year.
Kay Kay Wright was named to the 2020 Nancy Lieberman Award Watch List and was recognized among the nation’s best with a spot on the Naismith Trophy National Player of the Year Watch List. Wright was a consensus first-team All-AAC selection and finished her career second in assists (494) and third in points (1,614) in UCF history. The Preseason AAC Player of the Year (the first in program history to earn that distinction) is the only Knight to score 1,600 points, dish out over 400 assists and record over 250 steals in her career.
Prior to her stint in Orlando, Balerio spent six seasons at Albany, serving as an assistant coach for four years and the director of operations for two seasons. Albany captured four America East regular seasons crowns during those six years. Balerio witnessed Imani Tate post the fourth-highest scoring season in program history as Zakiya Saunders —another all-conference selection — broke the school record for assists and ranked sixth in the NCAA with 6.9 assists per game.
Balerio played at Missouri State from 2005-08 under Coach ABE. She was a team captain, a two-time MVP, a two-time All-Conference selection and earned Scholar Athlete honors. Balerio led the Bears in scoring during the 2006-07 season, averaging 18.7 points per game – tops in the Missouri Valley Conference.
After graduation, she was the head junior varsity and assistant varsity coach at Hillcrest High School in Springfield, Mo.
Balerio earned her degree in entertainment management from Missouri State. She is married to Lily Grenci, and the couple has a one-year old daughter named Zelda Lynn Balerio, born March 23, 2022.
Georgia Women's Basketball - SEC Tournament - vs Arkansas Highlights
Wednesday, March 05
Georgia Women's Basketball Twin Connection Feature
Wednesday, March 05
Georgia Women's Basketball vs Tennessee TV Highlights
Sunday, March 02
Georgia Women's Basketball - Postgame Press Conference - Auburn - Coach Abe Asia Avinger
Thursday, February 27
