2009-10 URI Women's Basketball Media Guide - Section 3 by University of Rhode Island Athletics

THE COACHING STAFF

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HEAD COACH

CATHY INGLESE Head Coach • First Season

THE INGLESE FILE

Cathy Inglese was introduced as head coach of the University of Rhode Island women's basketball program on April 14, 2009.

First season at Rhode Island, 23rd season overall Hometown: Wallingford, Conn. Education: B.S., Southern Connecticut, '80 / M.Ed., New Hampshire, '87 Coaching (Overall Record: 393-253/.608) • Assistant Coach, New Hampshire (1983-86) • Head Coach, Vermont (1986-93) • Head Coach, Boston College (1993-2008) • Head Coach, Rhode Island (2009-present)

"We are thrilled to be announcing Cathy Inglese as our new women's basketball head coach at the University of Rhode Island," said Thorr Bjorn, URI director of athletics. "Cathy is one of the most highly-respected coaches among her peers and she has been a winner in all of her previous endeavors. We are excited to be working with her to build a championship program here at URI."

At Vermont (Record: 120-74/.619) • America East Conference Tournament Champion (1992, 1993) • America East Conference Champion (1992, 1993) • NCAA Tournament (1991, 1992, 1993) • America East Conference Coach of the Year (1991, 1992, 1993) • District I Coach of the Year (1991, 1992, 1993) • National Coach of the Year Finalist (1991, 1992, 1993)

Inglese owns a 393-253 (.608) career coaching record in 22 seasons as a head coach. Most recently, the Wallingford, Conn. native served as Boston College's head coach from 1993-2008, registering a 273-179 (.604) overall record. The Eagles finished with 20-or-more wins in eight of her 15 seasons in Chestnut Hill. She guided Boston College to seven NCAA Tournament appearances and one trip to the WNIT. Under her direction, the Eagles made three trips to the NCAA Sweet 16 (2003, 2004 and 2006) and posted a program-high national ranking of No. 14 (USA Today) at the end of the 2003-04 season. Overall, Inglese's teams have spent 11 seasons ranked in the Top-25.

At Boston College (Record: 273-197/.604) • Big East Conference Tournament Champion (2004) • NCAA Tournament (1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006) Sweet Sixteen (2003, 2004, 2006) • Women’s National Invitation Tournament (2008) • Big East Conference Coach of the Year (1999) • New England Division I Coach of the Year (2004)

"I am so excited to be at the University of Rhode Island," Inglese said. "I have had many great conversations with Thorr Bjorn and I truly believe that this program has the potential to be excellent. I look forward to building relationships and engaging the athletic department as a part of the growth process. It is going to be an entire team effort. I am just so thrilled be a part of the URI family."

Other Honors/Accomplishments • Winningest coach in the nation for two seasons, leading Vermont to undefeated records in both 1991-92 and 1992-93. • NCAA record 52-consecutive regular-season victories (Vermont, 1991-93) • New England Basketball Hall of Fame • University of Vermont Hall of Fame • Southern Connecticut Athletic Hall of Fame • Connecticut Softball Hall of Fame • Connecticut Women's Basketball Hall of Fame • Sheehan High School Hall of Fame • Tap-Off Club of Greater New Haven Hall of Fame • Italian American Sports Hall of Fame • New Agenda Northeast Hall of Fame

Prior to her stint at Boston College, Inglese served as head coach at the University of Vermont for seven seasons, posting a 120-74 (.619) record. During that time, her Catamounts registered some of the best regular season performances in NCAA women's basketball history. From 1991-93, Inglese's UVM teams set an NCAA record for consecutive regular season wins. The 1991-92 team posted a 29-0 regular season record, while the 1992-93 squad finished the regular season with a 28-0 mark. It was the first time in NCAA history that a women's basketball team had consecutive undefeated regular seasons. From 1990-93, Inglese's teams achieved an impressive 79-9 record while capturing two North Atlantic Conference (NAC) regular-season and tournament championships. Vermont became the first NAC team to earn an at-large berth to the 1992 and 1993 NCAA tournaments. The Catamounts also earned their first-ever national ranking (both the Associated Press and USA Today polls) under her guidance.

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Q&A WITH COACH INGLESE In addition to her collegiate coaching duties, Inglese has also spent time on several USA Basketball coaching staffs. Most recently, she was an assistant coach with the gold medal-winning World University Games team in the summer of 2005. Prior to that, she served as one of the court coaches for the USA Basketball Women's Summer Development Camp/R. William Jones Cup Team Trials (2000). Inglese was one of four coaches that worked with players competing for a roster spot on the Jones Cup team. Following her 1998-99 season at BC, Inglese served as the coach of the 1999 BIG EAST/Nike Women's Basketball All-Star Team, which took a five-game tour of Belgium and Germany. The team finished the exhibition schedule with a 4-1 record. Inglese is also active in many off-court organizations and activities. Included among her many speaking engagements and public appearances have been stints with Reebok, USA Basketball and several clinics and camps. She is a former member of the Board of Directors for the WBCA and served as District I Coordinator of the Kodak All-America Committee. A 1980 magna cum laude graduate of Southern Connecticut State University, Inglese was a standout basketball and softball player. As a senior, Inglese was selected as the school's outstanding female student-athlete and was inducted into the SCSU Athletic Hall of Fame (1992). Inglese is also a member of the Connecticut Softball Hall of Fame. After graduation from Southern Connecticut in 1980, she had professional tryouts with the Dallas Diamonds and New Jersey Gems. Inglese began her coaching career at Glastonbury (Conn.) High School that same year. In 1983, she became assistant basketball coach and assistant athletic director at the University of New Hampshire, a position she held for three years until accepting the head coaching post at Vermont in 1986. Inglese earned her master's degree in education (counseling) from New Hampshire in 1987. Inglese has been recognized for her contribution to basketball as both a player and a coach. In the summer of 2004, she was honored by the New England Basketball Hall of Fame as the New England Division I Coach of the Year. In the fall of 2008, she was inducted into the Athletics Hall of Fame at Vermont for her achievements as a coach. Inglese is also a member of the Massachusetts Chapter of the Italian-American Sports Hall of Fame (2000), the Tap-Off Club of Greater New Haven Hall of Fame, the Sheehan High School Hall of Fame (1997) and the Connecticut Women's Basketball Hall of Fame (1996). She was inducted into the New Agenda Northeast Hall of Fame in Nov. 2005, for advancing the role of women in sports.

What should URI fans expect from the Rams in 2009-10? Our team will be hard working and fun to watch. We will play together and play with enthusiasm. I like to play an up-tempo style, but at the same time I emphasize the importance of executing on the offensive side and being able to switch up on defense. Describe your recruiting philosophy and the specific things that you look for in potential student-athletes. For me, it starts with the person first. I recruit players with a positive attitude, players who want to work hard to get better. I make sure they understand that their best days are ahead of them. I look for kids who want to reach their own individual goals and are willing to do it within the confines of the team. I look for players that want to make a difference, who want to be a part of something greater than themselves and who believe in us as much as we believe in them. I think this University really sells itself. The vast number of majors we have here is a huge plus. The campus is beautiful and the location is ideal. Its close to beach, close to Providence and close to Boston. Playing in a strong, competitive conference like the Atlantic 10 is also an excellent selling point. You've had tremendous success at both Boston College and the University of Vermont. What specific things do you take away from those experiences and what – in your mind – are the keys to building a successful program? I believe you have to surround yourself with good people. That starts at the top with administration and includes working with a super staff. Its also important to reach out to people within the University and the community to help build that support network. Perhaps most important, though, is to bring in the right student-athletes – I look for those with a great attitude, commitment and work ethic. What are your thoughts on the Atlantic 10 and what it takes to be successful in this league? I really like the Atlantic 10. The Conference is recognized in the Top-25 and sends several teams to postseason play, which speaks volumes about the quality of our league. I’ve known Bernadette McGlade (Commissioner of the A-10) for a long time – since my days in the ACC – and she is a tremendous leader. I also like the geography of the league. Traveling outside of the region – to places like Charlotte, St. Louis and Richmond for example – easily allows us to expand our recruiting area. As proven by your 100% graduation rate, you place a great deal of emphasis on academics. How have you been able to successfully balance both academics and athletics? Initially when I recruit someone, I stress the academic end of things. My recruits come here to graduate in four years. They understand that that's the number one priority. That being said, once they are here it is our responsibility to monitor and take care of them by giving them what they need to be successful. The academic advising staff is an incredibly important part of our program. What are some of your favorite things about URI? I am extremely excited to be here and a lot of that has to do with Thorr Bjorn, his leadership, vision and enthusiasm. There’s a real sense of “family” in this department and you can tell that people really pull for one another. I also enjoy the challenge of growing a program and helping to build new traditions. I love the URI campus and its location - its absolutely beautiful. Another draw for me is the ability to compete in the Atlantic 10, which is a very good, very competitive conference. The fact that eight teams qualified for the postseason last year tells you a lot about the quality of the league. Finally, I’m happy to be in New England. My roots are here in the Northeast and I have many contacts throughout the region. I’m excited about continuing these relationships and getting additional people involved in Rhody basketball. I’ve lived in every New England state except for Rhode Island so having the opportunity to help establish a winning tradition here at URI is quite exciting to me.

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Equally as important, Inglese has established a barometer of success off the court as well. In her 22-years of coaching at the Division I level, she has enjoyed a perfect graduation rate. Each student-athlete who has exhausted their eligibility under her direction has gone on to earn their degree.

CATHY INGLESE vs. ALL OPPONENTS

Opponent Alabama Alabama-Birmingham Alaska-Anchorage Albany American Arkansas Army Boston University Brooklyn Brown Bucknell Buffalo Canisius Central Connecticut Central Florida Charlotte Clemson Colgate Concordia Connecticut Cornell Dartmouth Dayton Delaware District of Columbia Drexel Duke Duquesne East Carolina East Tennessee State Eastern Michigan Fairfield Florida Florida International Florida State Fordham George Washington Georgetown Georgia Georgia Tech Hartford Harvard Holy Cross Houston Illinois Iona James Madison Kent State La Salle Liberty Longwood Loyola Chicago Maine Manhattan Marist Maryland Massachusetts Miami (Fla.) Miami (Ohio) Michigan State Minnesota Mississippi State NC State Nebraska New Hampshire Niagara NJIT

Vermont 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 2-0 6-8 10-1 1-0 0-1 1-0 1-1 5-5 1-0 0-0 0-0 4-3 1-0 0-1 3-1 3-5 0-0 6-0 1-0 5-1 0-0 0-0 1-0 1-0 1-0 0-1 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-1 0-0 0-0 0-0 12-3 3-4 2-1 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 7-11 1-0 1-1 0-0 2-3 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 7-7 0-1 0-0

Boston College 1-1 1-0 1-0 0-0 1-0 0-2 0-0 1-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 2-0 0-1 1-0 0-0 0-0 3-1 7-0 0-0 3-21 0-0 5-0 0-0 2-0 0-0 1-0 1-5 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 2-2 1-0 1-0 0-3 1-1 1-2 15-6 0-1 2-2 2-0 1-3 13-2 1-0 0-1 1-0 0-0 1-1 3-0 1-0 1-0 1-0 4-1 0-0 1-0 0-7 5-2 13-12 0-1 2-1 0-1 0-1 2-4 1-0 6-1 1-0 0-0

Total 1-1 1-0 1-0 0-0 1-0 0-2 2-0 7-8 10-1 2-0 0-1 3-0 1-2 6-5 1-0 0-0 3-1 11-3 1-0 3-22 3-1 8-5 0-0 8-0 1-0 6-1 1-5 0-0 1-0 1-0 1-0 2-3 1-0 1-0 0-3 1-1 1-3 15-6 0-1 2-2 14-3 4-7 15-3 1-0 0-1 1-0 1-0 2-1 3-0 1-0 1-0 1-0 11-12 1-0 2-1 0-7 7-5 13-12 0-1 2-1 0-1 0-1 2-4 1-0 13-8 1-1 0-0

Opponent North Carolina North Carolina Central North Texas Northeastern Northwestern Notre Dame Oakland Ohio State Ohio University Old Dominion Oregon Philly Textile Pittsburgh Providence Purdue Quinnipiac Rhode Island Richmond Rutgers Sacred Heart Saint Joseph's Saint Louis Saint Michael's Saint Peter's San Diego San Diego State Seton Hall Siena SMU South Carolina St. Bonaventure St. Francis St. John's St. Lawrence Stanford Syracuse Temple Tennessee Tennessee Tech Texas Toledo Towson Tulane UNC-Greensboro Utah Utica Vanderbilt Vermont Villanova Virginia Virginia Tech Wagner Wake Forest Weber State West Virginia Western Michigan Wisconsin Wright State Xavier Yale Total

Vermont 0-0 0-0 0-0 11-4 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-1 0-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 2-0 1-0 0-1 0-0 0-0 0-0 6-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 5-7 0-0 0-0 0-1 1-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 120-74 (.619)

Bold indicates 2009-10 opponent.

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Boston College 0-3 1-0 1-0 4-1 2-2 4-11 2-0 3-3 0-0 1-0 1-0 0-0 13-5 13-7 0-2 3-0 1-0 1-0 8-9 2-0 3-1 0-0 0-0 1-1 1-0 1-0 12-6 2-0 1-0 0-2 0-0 0-0 16-4 0-0 1-1 14-6 1-0 0-3 1-0 1-0 1-1 0-0 0-1 1-0 0-1 0-0 1-0 2-1 8-11 1-4 4-7 1-0 3-0 0-1 15-0 1-0 1-0 1-0 0-0 2-0 273-197 (.604)

Total 0-3 1-0 1-0 15-5 2-2 4-11 2-0 3-3 0-1 1-0 1-0 1-0 13-5 13-7 0-2 3-0 3-0 2-0 8-10 2-0 3-1 0-0 6-0 1-1 1-0 1-0 12-6 7-7 1-0 0-2 0-1 1-0 16-4 1-0 1-1 14-6 1-0 0-3 1-0 1-0 1-1 1-0 0-1 1-0 0-1 1-0 1-0 2-1 8-11 1-4 4-7 1-0 3-0 0-1 15-0 1-0 1-0 1-0 0-0 2-0 393-253 (.608)

WHAT THEY'RE SAYING ABOUT CATHY INGLESE...

Cathy is the perfect choice for this position. She is a New England native who has had tremendous success at Vermont and Boston College. Cathy's teams were always extremely difficult to play against. No one played harder or was better prepared. There is no doubt in my mind that URI will be at the top of the Atlantic 10 in no time. - Geno Auriemma - Head Coach, University of Connecticut I am so excited for Cathy and URI basketball. She clearly has one of the best minds in women’s basketball. Having coached against her for a number of years in the BIG EAST, I have the utmost respect for her outstanding work and her commitment to the game. - C. Vivian Stringer - Head Coach, Rutgers University I have always been impressed with Cathy's teams. Cathy does a great job teaching her players how to win on and off the court. Her teams always play with discipline and great energy and are always very difficult to prepare for. - Bonnie Henrickson - Head Coach, University of Kansas Cathy is one of the greatest minds in the game of women’s basketball and Rhode Island is very fortunate to have her. I think it is going to be an exceptional fit and I have no doubt that Cathy will take Rhode Island to new heights. The program will become one of national prominence. She is a great motivator and is tremendous with the X’s and O’s. She has a great thirst for learning – she spent all of last year traveling around the country watching many of the nations top teams practice and play. She’s just a wealth of knowledge and is very well respected among coaches in the women’s game. - Gail Goestenkors - Head Coach, University of Texas I am thrilled for the University of Rhode Island to have landed a coach of Cathy Inglese’s caliber. She is truly one of the best in the business. She is an unbelievable mentor and has been instrumental in getting me to where I am today. I’m here because I worked for Cathy. She flat out made me better, taught me almost everything I know about the game and everything that surrounds it. I still follow URI closely and I’m confident that the program is in great hands. - Erik Johnson - Head Coach, University of Denver Cathy Inglese is an outstanding coach and URI has made a bold statement, demonstrating a strong commitment to the women's basketball program by selecting her as its next Head Coach. I congratulate Thorr Bjorn and Coach Inglese. - Bernadette McGlade - Commissioner, Atlantic 10 Conference

Cathy Inglese is one of the hardest working and most dedicated teachers in our game. Her attention to detail will afford her student-athletes the opportunity to grow on the court and become the best basketball players they can be. Her successful stint at Boston College - while in both the ACC and BIG EAST conferences - will prepare Rhode Island to challenge in the Atlantic 10. - Debbie Antonelli - Analyst, CBS Sports/ESPN/FOX Sports/WNBA Cathy Inglese spent her year away from coaching wisely, studying other schools and talking to her peers about strategy and program-building. She already had a wealth of experience, but the past year gave her additional insight, energy and ideas that definitely will benefit Rhode Island. - Mechelle Voepel - ESPN.com Cathy has had enormous success throughout her coaching career, dating back to the days of her undefeated seasons at the University of Vermont. When she moved on to Boston College, she made the Eagles a competitive power in the BIG EAST Conference and was able to navigate the tricky transition from the BIG EAST to the Atlantic Coast Conference when the College switched affiliations. She is a tremendous addition to the recent list of new coaches who have taken jobs at Atlantic 10 schools. She certainly will be an enhancement to the Conference. - Mel Greenberg - Philadelphia Inquirer Coach Inglese is a wonderful teacher of the game. You can always count on her teams to be intelligent, hard-working and fundamentally sound. Her dedication to her job is unparalled. Her office light will be the first to go on each morning, and the last to go off at night. Even when her teams are outmatched on paper, somehow Coach Inglese's teams always compete with the best of them. She is a brilliant stratgeizer. I am so incredibly happy for Coach as I know she really missed coaching this past season. URI has made a wonderful decision in hiring Coach Inglese and I look forward to seeing what's to come with the Rams! - Nicole Conway - Former player, Boston College ‘02 Coach Inglese is one of the most dedicated teachers of the game of basketball and has truly been an asset to every program she has been a part of. I consider myself very fortunate to have played for her because the lessons she preached - of dedication and commitment, a strong work ethic, and a ‘team-first’ mentality - have proven valuable long after my playing days have ended. She holds her teams to very high standards both on and off the court, expecting excellence and commitment on the floor as well in the classroom and in the community. She still remains a very important person in my life today and is someone that I will always look to for guidance and example. I am confident that Coach Inglese will bring these standards, as well as her winning tradition, to the University of Rhode Island’s women’s basketball program. I wish both her and the University of Rhode Island the very best of luck. - Becky Gottstein - Former player, Boston College ’02

Cathy Inglese is the epitome of a basketball coach. She thoroughly understands the game and values relationships with student-athletes, coaches, colleagues and supporters. She represents the game and institution with the highest regard. The URI program will benefit from Coach Inglese's strong internal drive to succeed. I look forward to tracking the success of the program for years to come. - Sue Hagens - Assistant Director of Athletics, University of Vermont

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I am very happy and excited for Cathy to be named the head coach at Rhode Island. She is extremely talented in every aspect of the game, and is an outstanding teacher and motivator. Cathy is a special friend and I have the utmost confidence in her to be successful. - Pat Summitt - Head Coach, University of Tennessee

ASSISTANT COACHES

ASHLEY EARLEY Assistant Coach • First Season

THE EARLEY FILE First season at Rhode Island

Hometown: Memphis, Tenn. Education: B.S., Vanderbilt, '05 / M.S., Alabama, '07 Coaching Experience: • Graduate Assistant, Alabama (2006-07) • Assistant Coach, Tennessee Tech (2007-09) • Assistant Coach, Rhode Island (2009-present) Professional Playing Experience: • WNBA - Drafted 29th overall by the Indiana Fever (2005) • Safsal Israeli League - Maccabi Tel Kabir Top 5 in Safsal Israeli League in scoring, rebounding, and FG% Collegiate Playing Experience: • Vanderbilt - 2001-05 Team Captain (2004-05) All-SEC First Team Unanimous Selection (2005) Associated Press All-SEC First Team (2005) Lead SEC in FG% and Offensive Rebounds per game (2005) SEC All-Tournament Team (2005) WBCA Region 3 Kodak All-American (2005) Associated Press All-American Honorable Mention (2005) Full Court Press All-American Second Team (2005) Candidate for the Naismith Trophy (2005) Candidate for the John R. Wooden Award (2005) SEC Good Works Team (2005) 2004-2005 led team in points (18.4), rebounds (9.4), and steals (2.1) Two-Time SEC Tournament Champion Four-straight NCAA Tournament berths One Elite Eight appearance Two Sweet Sixteen appearances One Second Round appearance

Ashley Earley enters her first season on the Rhode Island women's basketball coaching staff in 2009-10. She comes to Kingston after spending the previous two seasons as an assistant coach at Tennessee Tech. While at TTU, Earley had on-floor coaching responsibilities, while also handling recruiting, film exchange and team travel. During the 2006-07 season, Earley served as a graduate assistant at Alabama. While with the Crimson Tide, she helped to establish and direct the Kid's Club, and also worked in areas such as film exchange and preparing scouting reports. She handled numerous speaking appearances, presenting the Crimson Tide women's program to several organizations. She earned her master's degree in marketing in 2007. She played four seasons at Vanderbilt, captaining the Commodores during the 2004-05 season while also leading the team in scoring (18.4 ppg), rebounding (9.4) and steals (2.1). As a senior, she was a first-team All-SEC unanimous selection, Kodak All-Region, Associated Press honorable mention All-America, and second-team All-America by Full Court Press. She led the SEC in field goal percentage and offensive rebounds and was a candidate for both the Naismith Trophy and John R. Wooden Award. During her career at Vandy, she scored over 1,300 points while helping lead the Commodores to four straight NCAA Tournament berths, one appearance in the Elite Eight and two trips to the Sweet Sixteen. She was part of two SEC tournament championship teams. Named to the SEC Good Works team, Earley also earned a spot on the SEC Academic Honor Roll. She earned her degree in psychology in 2005. A native of Memphis, Tenn., Earley was named Gatorade Player of the Year and selected as the Division 2 Miss Basketball following her senior season, when she was also named Parade All-American and earned All-America honors from the Women's Basketball Coach's Association.

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ASSISTANT COACHES

Assistant Coach • First Season

THE JACOBS FILE

Amber Jacobs enters her first season with the Rhody women's basketball program in 2009-10, reuniting with her college coach Cathy Inglese.

First season at Rhode Island Hometown: Scranton, Pa.

Jacobs returns to the college coaching ranks after a stellar career in the WNBA. Jacobs was drafted by the Minnesota Lynx in the third round of the 2004 WNBA Draft (33rd overall) and played four years with the team.

Education: B.S., Boston College, '04 Coaching Experience: • Assistant Coach, Keystone State Games–U14 girls (2003) • Assistant Coach, Toledo (2004-06) • Director of Player Development, Backcourt Hoops (2008-09) • Head Coach, Abington Heights 9th Grade Girls (2008-09) • Head Coach, Abington Heights 7th-8th Grade Girls (2008-09) • Head Coach, NEPA Flames AAU U16 Girls Team (2009)

She earned the start in all 34 games for the Lynx in 2006, averaging 8.2 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game. Jacobs closed out her WNBA career playing 11 games with Los Angeles and Washington. From 2004-06, Jacobs served as assistant coach at the University of Toledo. While with the Rockets' program, she was responsible for video exchange, tape breakdown, student-athlete academics, coordinating practice times, scouting, working with perimeter players, assisting with camp organization and marketing, and recruiting.

Professional Playing Experience: • WNBA - Drafted 33rd overall by the Minnesota Lynx (2004) Minnesota Lynx (2004-07) Washington Mystics (2008) Los Angeles Sparks (2008)

Most recently, Jacobs was the head coach of the NEPA Flames AAU U-16 girls basketball team in Scranton, Pa.

Collegiate Playing Experience: • Boston College - 2000-04 Big East All-Rookie Team (2001) Big East Honorable Mention (2003) Big East Academic All-Star (2003) Team Captain (2004) Big East Second Team (2004) Big East All-Tournament Team (2004) WBCA Kodak District One All-American (2004) BC “Eagle of the Year” Award (2004) AP Honorable Mention All-American (2004) WBCA All-Star Challenge participant (2004) Won the WBCA All-Star Challenge Three-Point Shooting (2004) Hit back-to-back game-winning shots in the 2003 NCAA Tourney Invited to participate in the USA Basketball Junior Nat'l Team trials USA Basketball World Championships for Young Women (2001-02)

Jacobs was a four-year starter at Boston College, as a guard on Inglese's BC squad that won the 2004 Big East Championship and made two trips to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. A team captain as a senior, Jacobs earned Associated Press Honorable Mention All-American, All-Big East second team selection, and WBCA Kodak District One All-American honors. She finished her career with 1,544 points, 469 assists and 158 steals. She was invited to represent the United States at the 2001 and 2002 World Championships for Young Women. She earned her degree in human development from Boston College in 2004.

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AMBER JACOBS

ASSISTANT COACHES

MEGAN LANHAM Assistant Coach • First Season

THE LANHAM FILE

Megan Lanham enters her first season with the Rhode Island women's basketball program in 2009-10, after serving as the associate head coach at Southern Illinois for the past two years.

First season at Rhode Island Hometown: Sheffield, Ill.

Prior to taking the position with the Salukis, Lanham spent eight seasons with Indiana State, including six years as the recruiting coordinator.

Education: B.S., Winona State, '96 / M.A., Indiana State, '01 Coaching Experience: • Assistant Coach, Illinois Central (1996-97) • Assistant Coach, Manhattan (1997-98) • Assistant Coach, Loyola (Ill.) (1998-99) • Associate Head Coach/Recruiting Coordinator, Indiana State (1999-2007) • Associate Head Coach, Southern Illinois (2007-09) • Assistant Coach, Rhode Island (2009-present) At Indiana State: • 107-47 record at as Recruiting Coordinator • Two-time Team GPA National Champions (3.63 & 3.60) • Missouri Valley Regular Season Champions (2003, 2006) • 2003 NCAA Scoring Champions (80 ppg)

• Set ISU Records for: Overall wins in one season - 27 games (2005-06) Winning Percentage - .818 (2005-06) Consecutive wins - 18 games (2005-06) Scoring Average-80 ppg (2002-03) Collegiate Playing Experience: • Illinois Central - 1992-93 Back-to-back NJCAA National Championships • Winona State - 1994-96 Team Captain

During the 2005-06 campaign, the Sycamores recorded a school-record 27 victories, registering a 16-2 record in Missouri Valley Conference play, en route to the program's first-ever outright MVC championship. As an assistant coach in 2002-03, Lanham was instrumental in the Sycamores' capturing of their first ever regular season Missouri Valley Conference Championship. In 2001-02, ISU set school records for three-point field goals made and attempted in a season. Off the court, Indiana State won several WBCA Academic Excellence Awards and led the country with a team grade-point average of 3.602 in 2005. Lanham was inducted into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2002. Prior to ISU, Lanham spent one season each as an assistant coach at Loyola (Ill.) and Manhattan College. She began her coaching career at Illinois Central College in 1996-97. While at Illinois Central, the team finished third (1996) and fourth (1997) in the nation. As the point guard at ICC from 1992-93, Lanham helped the team to back-to-back national championships. A native of Sheffield, Ill., Lanham received her master's degree in communications in 2001 from Indiana State. She graduated with a B.S. in education in 1996 from Winona State.

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DIRECTOR OF BASKETBALL OPERATIONS

Director of Basketball Operations • First Season

THE WALLACE FILE First season at Rhode Island Hometown: Olathe, Kan Education: B.S., Kansas '07 / M.S., Kansas '09 Professional Experience: • Women’s Basketball Graduate Assistant, Kansas (2007-09) • Women's Basketball Manager, Kansas (2005-2007) • Intern, Utah Jazz (Summer 2006-2007)

Steve Wallace begins his first season as director of basketball operations for the Rhode Island women's basketball program in 2009-10. Wallace recently completed his second year as the graduate assistant manager at Kansas. In that position, Wallace assisted the coaching staff with pre-game scouting of opponents, editing and designing all team videos, organizing the men's practice team, and serving as the assistant director of the Bonnie Henrickson summer camps and clinics. In his time with the Jayhawk program, KU made two trips to the WNIT, including an appearance in the 2009 championship game. Wallace also worked with the on-court development of 2009 First Team All-Big 12 selection Danielle McCray and 2008 Big 12 All-Rookie pick Krysten Boogaard. During the summer of 2008, he had the opportunity to go out on the road recruiting, due to the maternity leave of a member of the KU coaching staff. As an undergraduate, Wallace spent two seasons as a team manager with the Kansas women's basketball team. During that time, he was responsible for video breakdown and was the practice team captain. In addition to his work at Kansas, Wallace spent two summers as an intern in the basketball operations office for the Utah Jazz, helping the team prepare for the NBA Draft and Rocky Mountain Revue. He earned his degree in secondary education-social studies from Kansas in 2007.

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STEVE WALLACE

SUPPORT STAFF

RENEE LAVOIE

Video Coordinator • Second Year Renee Lavoie enters her second year with the Rhode Island women's basketball team in 2009-10. A 2008 graduate of the University of Rhode Island, she earned her Bachelor's of Arts in Journalism while completing internships in the URI Sports Communications office as well as with the Rhody Life Skills program. Lavoie also spent her junior and senior years working at Narragansett Elementary School as part of the URI Mentoring & Tutoring internship. A dean's list student at URI, Lavoie was a four-year member of the Rhody swimming & diving team while serving as team captain her senior year. She also spent two years as the Chair of Marketing on URI's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and was a twoyear secretary for the URI Society of Professional Journalists. In her current role with the Rams, she coordinates team travel and video operations - including in-game taping and opponent film exchange - as well as scheduling of home and away practices.

LIZ PROCTOR

Strength & Conditioning • Sixth Year Liz Proctor is in her sixth season in the URI Strength & Conditioning department and her fourth as Director. She is responsible for creating and overseeing the URI strength and conditioning program with the primary goal of developing strength, power, speed, agility, flexibility and injury prevention for the University's 18 programs. Prior to her time at URI, Proctor spent four years at The College of the Holy Cross as Assistant Strength Coach. While in Worcester, she worked primarily football, hockey, men's basketball, field hockey, men's and women's lacrosse, women's soccer, baseball, and softball. Proctor also spent time as an assistant strength coach with the Worcester Icecats of the American Hockey League (AHL) as well as their National Hockey League (NHL) affiliate, St. Louis Blues. Prior to Holy Cross, she worked at Mike Boyle's strength and conditioning program in Burlington, Mass. During the 2000-01 season, Proctor served as the Strength and Conditioning Coordinator for the WNBA's New York Liberty. Along with designing and incorporating flexibility and endurance exercise for individual players, she implemented the in-season strength and conditioning program. Proctor also assisted the athletic trainer with treatment, rehabilitation exercises and equipment management. Proctor graduated from Southern Connecticut in 1996 with a bachelor's degree in exercise science and minor in nutrition while also competing on the field hockey and softball teams. She earned her master's degree in applied exercise science at Springfield College in 2000 while also serving as the assistant strength coach for football and all olympic sports.

MICHELLE LEVREAULT Athletic Trainer • Seventh Year

Michelle Levreault enters her seventh year at Rhode Island in 2009-10, most recently being elevated to an Associate Athletic Trainer. A 2003 graduate of the University of Connecticut, she earned her Bachelor's of Science in Sports Medicine before receiving her Master's in Kinesiology at Rhode Island in 2005. As a graduate assistant athletic trainer, Levreault worked with the football and swimming & diving teams before becoming an assistant athletic trainer and taking on responsibility for the men's soccer, softball and women's basketball programs. During her time at Connecticut, she worked as a student athletic trainer for the Huskies' women's soccer, women's hockey, softball and men's track and field teams. In addition, she volunteered time with the Manchester (Conn.) High School fall sports teams and for the Hartford Family Clinic. Upon graduation she was awarded the "Doug Casa Award" for ongoing research. In 2005, Levreault was recognized for "Outstanding Graduate Studies Research" based on work from her thesis and past research. She also has assisted in conducting research sponsored by Gatorade, National Safe Kids Campaign, and UConn. This research project, which looks at hydration status in adolescents, has been published in Medicine & Science in Sport & Exercise. Levreault is currently active in researching athletes who have been diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease. A native of Woonsocket, R.I., she is a certified strength and conditioning specialist (CSCS) and has held the position of secretary/treasurer of the Rhode Island Athletic Trainers' Association for two years.

NICOLE POLOSKI

Academic Advisor • Fifth Year

Nicole Poloski begins her fifth year working with the URI Academic Support Team in 2009-10. A 2001 graduate of Providence College, she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Marketing. During her four years with the Friars, she played field hockey under her maiden name, Nicole LaBranche. The year following her undergraduate graduation, she received her M.Ed. in Counseling from Providence in 2002. At Rhode Island, Poloski is responsible for advising the women's basketball studentathletes throughout the academic year. She assists in class selection, monitors academic progress, gives recommendations for tutoring and/or other academic-based services as well as monitors study hall hours. Poloski also works with the URI baseball and men's soccer teams.

2 00 9- 10 U niversi t y of R h ode Is l a n d Women 's B a s ke t b a l l