RadvileAutukaite

Radvile Autukaite (pronounced like O-to-Kay-ta), former Virginia Tech women’s basketball assistant coach, was hired as the University of Kentucky women’s basketball assistant coach and recruiting coordinator on April 10, 2024. She enters her second season with the Wildcats’ women’s basketball program in 2025-26.

In her first season in the Bluegrass, she helped a program, which featured 11 new players and 11 new coaches and staff, earn a 23-8 overall record, including an 11-5 mark in the Southeastern Conference to finish in fourth place in the loaded league. The Wildcats, who earned five ranked triumphs, ranked as high as No. 8 in the Associated Press poll on the season, while they went on to earn the four seed and double bye at the SEC Tournament and the four seed and hosting privileges in the NCAA Tournament. The Cats broke or tied 12 school records before ending the season as the nation’s leader in blocks per game (7.0). Meanwhile, star-studded point guard Georgia Amoore went on to earn consensus All-America, Nancy Lieberman Point Guard of the Year Top Five Finalist, ESPN Newcomer of the Year, SEC Newcomer of the Year and All-SEC First Team – among others – before being picked No. 6 overall in the 2025 WNBA Draft by the Washington Mystics, while up-and-coming center Clara Strack earned Lisa Leslie Center of the Year Top 10 Finalist, SEC Defensive Player of the Year, All-SEC Second Team and SEC All-Defensive Team.

Autukaite arrived in Lexington after serving two seasons as an assistant coach at Virginia Tech (2022-23 and 2023-24). She was elevated to assistant coach prior to 2022-23, previously serving as the player personnel specialist for two seasons in 2020-21 and 2021-22 and a graduate assistant since 2017.  

In her first season as an assistant coach with the Hokies in 2022-23, they were crowned Atlantic Coast Conference Champions and made a postseason run to the Final Four. The season after, in 2023-24, the program lifted the ACC regular-season title.  

All three of those honors were among the first in program history. 

A former guard in her playing days, Autukaite has helped develop players like Aisha Sheppard, Kendyl Brooks and Taylor Emery, some of the best shooters to ever wear Maroon and Orange.

Another one of those players is Amoore, All-America point guard, who won the 2023 ACC Tournament MVP and went on to be Seattle 3 Region’s Most Outstanding Player in the 2023 NCAA Tournament.  

Under Autukaite’s guidance, Amoore became Virginia Tech’s all-time career leader in assists (656), assists / turnover ratio (1.8) and average minutes played (34.3), while she also climbed to second in 3-pointers (330) and third in scoring (1,853).

While in Blacksburg, Autukaite also coached a pair of draft selections. The Hokies had two selections in the 2023 WNBA Draft, including Kayana Traylor and Taylor Soule. It marked the first time in program history that two players were chosen in the WNBA Draft. 

Her former job responsibilities in Blacksburg, as a player personnel specialist and a graduate assistant, included coordinating the male practice players, helping maintain the recruitment database, assisting with administrative duties and other day-to-day operational tasks related to the program. 

While at Virginia Tech, Autukaite also earned a Masters in Instructional Design and Technology in 2020. She is currently working on her PhD in the same area. 

Prior to joining Virginia Tech, Autukaite served as a graduate assistant coach at Webber International University. During two seasons at Webber, her responsibilities varied from recruiting, organizing community service events, monitoring study hall, scheduling and assisting on the court with practices and games.  

Autukaite earned her Master of Business Administration with a sports management concentration from Webber in 2017. Before that, she earned her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Reinhardt University in 2015.  

During her college career at Reinhardt, Autukaite received the NAIA AAC Female Champion of Character Award for all sports. This award was given to a female athlete who exhibited integrity, respect, responsibility, sportsmanship and a servant leadership to the best of their ability. In addition, she was a Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athlete. 

Prior to moving to the United States, Autukaite played for the Lithuanian National Team at the U16, U18 and U20 levels. 

Coach Rad’s year-by-year coaching career: