Women's Basketball
Destini Hughes-Santos
- Title:
- Women's Basketball Assistant Coach
- Email:
- destini.hughes@qu.edu
- Phone:
- (203) 582-8991
Destini Hughes-Santos enters her third season as an assistant coach for the women's basketball program in 2018-19.
Hughes' first two seasons with the program have certainly been memorable as she helped guide Quinnipiac through their magical run into the NCAA Sweet 16 in 2017 and then back to the NCAA Second Round in 2018.
Hughes first came to Hamden after two seasons as a graduate assistant at LSU. With the Tigers, Hughes played a role in practice planning and recruiting while familiarizing herself with the film breakdown and scouting reports as well as serving as the community service liaison for the team.
In her two years as a graduate assistant on the coaching staff at LSU, she helped lead the Tigers to an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2014-15.
A familiar face to the LSU program, Hughes was a four-year contributor as a point guard for the Tigers from 2008-12. She appeared in 111 games (44 starts) while averaging 3.3 points, 1.9 assists, 1.6 rebounds and 1.0 steals in 17.9 minutes per game. Her role increased every season at LSU, peaking in her 2011-12 senior campaign where she captained the Tigers while averaging 6.9 points, 2.6 rebounds 2.5 assists, 1.4 steals and 22.6 minutes in 19 games (all starts) before she suffered a season-ending knee injury.
In four years, she helped guide the Tigers to three NCAA Tournament appearances (2009, 2010, 2012). She was also named to the 2009 SEC Freshman Academic Honor Roll and earned the 2012 LSU Women’s Basketball Inspiration Award following her senior season in which she continued to thrive in the role of team captain and leader despite her career-ending injury.
Her first experience in coaching came in 2008 as she served as a counselor for LSU’s women’s basketball camps through 2015. She also coached with camps affiliated with the AAU level as well as local high school camps for five straight summers (2008-12). Hughes helped campers with drill work, coached camp teams, assistant in promoting each camp and worked on player development in preparing student-athletes for playing on the collegiate level.
The nation’s second-rated point guard coming out of Kennedale High School in Texas, Hughes was named a 2008 McDonald’s All-American. An elite prospect, she comes from an athletic family with four siblings while her cousin Desmond Mason was crowned the 2001 NBA Slam Dunk Champion while he averaged 12.1 points across nine seasons with five different teams in the NBA.
A native of Fort Worth, Texas, Hughes graduated early from LSU in December 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in animal science and technology. She continued her education at LSU where she most recently graduated in May 2016 with a master’s in interpersonal communication.
Hughes-Santos married her husband Erick Santos in May 2018.
Hughes' first two seasons with the program have certainly been memorable as she helped guide Quinnipiac through their magical run into the NCAA Sweet 16 in 2017 and then back to the NCAA Second Round in 2018.
Hughes first came to Hamden after two seasons as a graduate assistant at LSU. With the Tigers, Hughes played a role in practice planning and recruiting while familiarizing herself with the film breakdown and scouting reports as well as serving as the community service liaison for the team.
In her two years as a graduate assistant on the coaching staff at LSU, she helped lead the Tigers to an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2014-15.
A familiar face to the LSU program, Hughes was a four-year contributor as a point guard for the Tigers from 2008-12. She appeared in 111 games (44 starts) while averaging 3.3 points, 1.9 assists, 1.6 rebounds and 1.0 steals in 17.9 minutes per game. Her role increased every season at LSU, peaking in her 2011-12 senior campaign where she captained the Tigers while averaging 6.9 points, 2.6 rebounds 2.5 assists, 1.4 steals and 22.6 minutes in 19 games (all starts) before she suffered a season-ending knee injury.
In four years, she helped guide the Tigers to three NCAA Tournament appearances (2009, 2010, 2012). She was also named to the 2009 SEC Freshman Academic Honor Roll and earned the 2012 LSU Women’s Basketball Inspiration Award following her senior season in which she continued to thrive in the role of team captain and leader despite her career-ending injury.
Her first experience in coaching came in 2008 as she served as a counselor for LSU’s women’s basketball camps through 2015. She also coached with camps affiliated with the AAU level as well as local high school camps for five straight summers (2008-12). Hughes helped campers with drill work, coached camp teams, assistant in promoting each camp and worked on player development in preparing student-athletes for playing on the collegiate level.
The nation’s second-rated point guard coming out of Kennedale High School in Texas, Hughes was named a 2008 McDonald’s All-American. An elite prospect, she comes from an athletic family with four siblings while her cousin Desmond Mason was crowned the 2001 NBA Slam Dunk Champion while he averaged 12.1 points across nine seasons with five different teams in the NBA.
A native of Fort Worth, Texas, Hughes graduated early from LSU in December 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in animal science and technology. She continued her education at LSU where she most recently graduated in May 2016 with a master’s in interpersonal communication.
Hughes-Santos married her husband Erick Santos in May 2018.
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