Ashton Feldhaus is Adding to the Family Basketball Legacy

First-year Morehead State coach Ashton Feldhaus will bring her team to Kentucky to open the season Nov. 3. (Morehead State Athletics Photo)

The name Feldhaus has a special meaning when it comes to basketball in Kentucky.

— Allen Feldhaus Sr. played basketball for Kentucky coach Adolph Rupp from 1958-62. Feldhaus coached high school basketball for 27 years, first at Russell County and then at Mason County. He died in 2017 at age 77.

— Allen Feldhaus Jr. played for his father at Mason County and was part of the 1981 state tournament team. He’s in his 28th season as the head basketball coach at Madison Central and won a state tournament title in 2013.

— Willie Feldhaus also played for his father at Mason County and played in the state tournament. He was a high school head coach at Pendleton County (1991-94), Russell County (2005-14) and Male (2015-18) with a career record  258-176. He also spent 11 seasons as an assistant at Madison Central working for his brother. He played his college basketball at Morehead.

— Deron Feldhaus was another Mason County standout playing for his father who became one of “The Unforgettables” at Kentucky under coach Rick Pitino.

Now another Feldhaus is making headlines again in Kentucky. Ashton Feldhaus, age 30, is in her first year as head coach at Morehead State University and is the youngest Division I coach in the nation. She won two 11th Region titles as a player at Madison Central before playing at Butler and then Tennessee-Martin in college.

“Growing up I would get out of school and have two choices. Go to the gym where dad was coaching (basketball) or the gym where mom was coaching (cheerleading). I could not see myself cheerleading, so I played basketball,” Ashton Feldhaus said.

“I was in the fifth grade when I was asked what I wanted to do and my answer was head coach of the (Tennessee) Lady Vols. I always knew I wanted to coach and dad’s best advice was if I wanted to make money, don’t coach high school.”

She took his advice and spent five seasons as the associate head coach at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Fla., working for coach Paul Honsinger. Eckerd was 91-28 during her five years and made five straight Division II NCAA Tournament appearances.

“In Division II you are the only assistant, so you do and learn everything,” Feldhaus said.

She learned so well that she got the head job at Division II Missouri Western and led the team to a 20-win season in 2024-25 and NCAA tourney berth.

“Missouri Western is in the best money conference in Division II. We had everything you could possibly want. I was kind of shocked that I even got the job and I loved every second of my time there,” Feldhaus said.

She got a call from Morehead athletics director Kelly Wells while she was at the national tournament asking her to interview for the open Morehead job. A week later she was named head coach.

“It has been a whirlwind ever since. Missouri Western was a highly sought after job. I was happy but when I got to Morehead I knew I wanted this job and to work for a man (Wells) who is invested in women’s basketball, loves Morehead State and puts his heart into his work every day,” she said.

“I knew uncle Willie played here but I have been out of state for 12 years. Everywhere I go here somebody is telling me a story about my grandfather and the boys. People here are ate up with basketball and Morehead has a certain charm to it. It’s an easy sell and assistants love it here, too. We have all fallen in love with Morehead.”

Her first season will start Nov. 3 when she plays Kentucky in Memorial Coliseum. About two weeks later her team will play at Louisville on Nov. 19 in its fourth game.

“I had nothing to do with the scheduling but it is about an experience for our kids,” Feldhaus said.

She knows Kentucky coach Kenny Brooks and recently after a recruiting trip to Europe — she has 10 international players on her roster — she was on the same flight with the Kentucky coach.

“He is awesome. He is a great resource for me and we are going to play them again next year in the home opener,” Feldhaus said. “Playing in a packed Memorial (Coliseum) and playing one of the best teams in the country to see where we match up with the best in the country is exciting.

“(Louisville) Coach (Jeff) Walz also wants to play again next season but I told him it depended on how he treated us this year. But it will be super fun and really good for our program.”

Feldhaus believes her age can be advantageous because of her adaptability.

“I hired younger assistant coaches. I can remember what it was like to be in their shoes and how important it is for players to have relatability to the staff,” the Morehead coach said. “I have the youngest staff in the country and want my players to be able to open up to be themselves. I do not want them to be walking on eggshells. I want them to be comfortable.

“When it comes to basketball, I am like an old soul. I know how hard you have to work. I have watched my parents do it all their lives. I am always learning. There’s a lot of advantages to being young.”

However, the Feldhaus bloodline is known for its intensity. Her grandfather, father and uncles all had it as players — just like she did. Her grandfather and uncles had it as coaches.

“I was ejected from my ninth game coaching last year. I guess I have got some of that in me, too,” she said. “We tell the girls this is how I am outside the lines but between the lines I am all business. We make sure our kids are competing. I didn’t miss out on the intensity factor but outside of that I am pretty laid back. That’s just how I am and know I will be in Memorial (against Kentucky).”