North Texas head coach Shanice Stephens added a veteran assistant to her staff on Monday, when she was in the process of bringing a UNT Hall of Famer back to Denton.

Former Wichita State assistant Erika Lang-Montgomery joined former Wiley College head coach Johnetta Hayes on the Mean Green’s staff when the university approved her contract on Monday. Jalie Mitchell is set to become UNT’s third assistant and is waiting on her paperwork to be approved by the university, a process that should be completed in the next few days.

Lang-Montgomery has spent a total of 13 years as an assistant coach at a variety of big-name schools, including Wisconsin, Purdue, Florida State and Southern California. The Florida graduate will serve as the Mean Green’s recruiting coordinator, a role she filled at Wichita State.

“Erika brings experience from prominent programs, has recruited high-ranking players and played at Florida, so she knows what type of athlete we are looking for,” Stephens said. “She brings a wealth of knowledge and experience that we need.”

Lang-Montgomery recruited Texas while she was at Wichita State. UNT athletic director Rick Villarreal said that the ability to recruit the top players in Texas was one of the assets he was looking for in a new head coach and her staff.

“I have enough recruiting ties in Texas and know enough people who can help introduce me to other coaches in the area,” Lang-Montgomery said. “We will build on those ties.”

The addition of Mitchell would add to those ties. The Duncanville graduate is UNT’s all-time leading scorer with 1,764 points and was a member of UNT’s 2007 Athletic Hall of Fame class.

Stephens cannot comment on Mitchell until her hiring is official, but said UNT was lucky to land Lang-Montgomery, who had opportunities to continue her career at other schools.

“I share Shanice’s vision of what North Texas can be and wanted to be a part of it,” Lang-Montgomery said. “North Texas is a diamond in the rough.”

BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870. His e-mail address is bvito@dentonrc.com.