Bio

Alexa (Bess) Welborn has been the women's basketball assistant coach at Indiana University East since the program joined the NAIA during the 2014-15 season.

She was appointed as the interim head coach in May 2023. 

Welborn helped guide IU East to a 25-8 record in 2021-22 as the Red Wolves qualified for the NAIA National Tournament for the fourth time in school history and the first time since 2017-18.

"It has been a pleasure building this program with Coach Welborn," IU East women's basketball head coach Tiffani Selhorst said. "She and I have worked well together over the years in how we manage personalities and see the game in different ways. We have both grown in coaching and continue to challenge each other in becoming better. This is as much her program as it is mine and I am thankful she continues to invest in it to make us a national name."

During Welborn's tenure, the Red Wolves won at least 20 games during a run of three consecutive appearances in the NAIA Division II National Championships from 2015-16 to 2017-18.

The best record during that stretch was 29-6 in 2016-17 as the Red Wolves won River States Conference East Division title and the postseason tourney. IU East would advance to the "Sweet 16" national tournament. The Red Wolves finished 15th in the nation in the NAIA Division II Women's Basketball postseason poll.

On the academic side, the IU East women's basketball program has earned NAIA Scholar-Team recognition (3.00 team GPA) after every season in school history.

A basketball standout at Rushville Consolidated High School, Welborn played three seasons at Saint Joseph's College, which was a NCAA Division II program in Rensselaer, Ind. She earned a sports management degree from Saint Joseph's in 2013.

Welborn is a member of Rushville's 1,000-point club and was an all-state performer as a senior as for the Lions as they were the 2010 Indiana Class 3A state runner-up.