Annie Kassongo, Barton Women's Basketball Assistant Coach

Bio

Annie Kassongo enters her third season as assistant coach for the women’s basketball program and her seventh year overall in collegiate coaching.

Kassongo rejoined the Cougars after a successful four-year tenure at then Northwest Kansas Technical College, where she served two seasons as an assistant coach before being promoted to head coach.

During the 2024-25 season campaign, Kassongo helped guide Barton to its seventh consecutive appearance in the Region 6/Plains District quarterfinals, finishing the season with a 16-16 overall record and an 11-13 mark in Jayhawk Conference play. The Cougars’ post-season run ended with a loss to eventual region champions and nationally ranked No. 7 Dodge City.

Under her development, two Cougars earned postseason accolades, Freshman Alaina Eck receiving All-KJCCC/Region 6 Honorable Mention recognition, while sophomore standout Vivian Onugha (Florida Atlantic University) secured a First Team selection. Onugha’s season was further distinguished by national accolades, culminating in a Third Team NJCAA Division I All-America honor-becoming the program’s 10th All-American and third in the last five years.

Onugha, a native of Lagos, Nigeria, concluded her Barton career as one of the most decorated rebounders in program history. She led the nation in rebounding with an average of 16.1 boards per game and ranked 28th nationally in scoring, contributing 17.4 points per contest. Her 26 double-doubles were pivotal to both the Cougars’ success and her individual recognition throughout the season.

Onugha set or tied multiple school records, including career rebounds (828), single-season rebounds (514), and single-season rebound average (16.1). Additionally, Onugha set the program mark for offensive rebounds in a season (197) and offensive rebound average (6.1), while also ranking second in single-season defensive rebounds (318) and first in defensive rebound average (9.9). Onugha’s physical presence also translated to the free throw line, where she tied the program record for most free throw attempts in a single game (20), ranked second in season attempts (208), and concluded her career fifth all-time in free throw attempts (325).

In Kassongo’s first season as the Cougars’ assistant, Barton reached the final four of the Region/District playoffs for the sixth consecutive season before being denied its fifth straight trip to the Championship.  Despite holding top ranked Hutchinson to its lowest output of the season, the Cougars fell 49-39 in the semifinals to end the season at 22-10 as the Blue Dragons would roll on through the region to the eventual national title.

Placing fourth in the conference standings at 16-8, four Cougars were selected for the All-KJCCC/Region 6 team led by freshman and eventual University of Arkansas signee Vera Ojenuwa earning first-team honors. Sophomore Quezia Bertoni (St. Mary’s University) and freshman Vivian Onugha were named to the second team while Tatum Boettjer (Western Kentucky University) was named an honorable mention selection.

Native of Geneva, Switzerland, Kassongo donned the Barton uniform for record breaking performances during the 2008-10 seasons. Kassongo’s freshman campaign helped the Barton claim the KJCCC regular season title and a No. 16 national ranking. 

Kassongo’s sophomore campaign concluded as a 2^nd Team All-Conference selection, leading the team in scoring 14 of the 30 contests, rebounding in 21 of the games, and finished averaging 14.7 points on 49.5% shooting, 10 rebounds, and 4.33 blocked shots per game.

A prolific shot blocker, Kassongo swatted a 133 single season program most blocks during the ’09-10 year including the top three individual blocks per game performances with a record setting 9 denials recorded on January 16 at Butler.

During her two-year Barton career, Kassongo also hauled down double-digit rebounds in 19 contests, finishing inside the program single season top ten list at the time with 301 total boards with 101 coming on the offensive glass

Kassongo went on to also have a record impact at Southern Nazarene University in Oklahoma City setting the program single game record of 7 blocks her junior year before surpassing it with a 10 block effort while adding 14 points and 12 rebound for a triple-double performance in her final year.

In 2013, Kassongo garnered All-GAC honorable mention distinction before helping the squad to the 2013 NCCAA National Championship crown behind a 23 point and 11 rebound performance in the title game to cap her collegiate career being named to the All-National Tournament team.

Receiving her Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from SNU in 2013, Kassongo then embarked on a 7-year professional career abroad.

Abroad, Kassongo’s professional career included time in Spain, Romania, United Kingdom, France, and her homeland Switzerland, as well as, represented her country in FIBA European competitions at the senior and youth levels.