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Jolette Law has turned to Vanderbilt assistant Lisa Cermignano to complete her coaching staff at Illinois.

Cermignano fills the void left by Karen Middleton, who took over as coach at Western Carolina.

"Without a doubt Lisa is one of the most talented and proven assistant coaches in women's basketball," Law said in a statement. "Her success as a player and coach on nationally-ranked, competitive teams will be a tremendous asset to our program. Lisa's expertise as a skilled recruiter and guard development coach will allow her to have an immediate impact. Her energy, work ethic, knowledge of the game, passion for defense and ability to develop talent make her a great fit for our staff."

Cermignano spent the last three seasons as an assistant at Vanderbilt, serving as the team's defensive coordinator, working primarily with the guards and helping with recruiting. During that span, the Commodores made three NCAA tournament appearances.

"I've known (Law) for a while on the recruiting circuit and have always respected her work ethic and passion," Cermignano said. "When I came to campus I was amazed at the support and enthusiasm that surrounds the program and wanted to be a part of it. "