Aja Ochie enters her eighth season as a member of the Southeastern women’s basketball coaching staff.
The Somerville, Tennessee native returned to her alma mater prior to the 2015-16 season. She primarily works with the Lady Lion post players and is a key member of the operations of the basketball program.
Ochie, under her maiden name of Aja Gibson, was a two-time All-Southland Conference forward for Southeastern from 2010-14, earning third team honors in 2012-13 and honorable mention recognition in 2011-12. She finished her career ranked in the program’s career top 10 in games played (118), career scoring (1,278 points), rebounding (694), free throws made (289), field goals made (494) and blocked shots (71).
Ochie also played on the 2015 USA Global Force International travel team in Budapest, Hungary.
Ochie had been hired as the head girls basketball coach at Independence High School in July 2015 after serving as an assistant coach for the Lady Tigers during the 2014-15 season. She was also a physical education teacher at the school from 2014-15.
Ochie also served as the recreation director at Chappapeela Park in Hammond and was an assistant coach for an Amateur Athletics Union under 13 girls team, helping lead it to a third-place finish at the 2015 Nationals in Orlando, Fla.
Ochie was an All-District performer at Fayette Ware High School, leading her team to a District 14-AA title as a junior in being named the team’s Most Valuable Player. She captained the team her junior and senior seasons while also serving as vice president of her senior class.
Ochie earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology from Southeastern in December 2013. She is married to former Lion basketball player Onochie Ochie. The couple has two sons, Onochie III (Trip) and Arinze and daughter Ari.
