ity College head women’s basketball coach Jamie Angeli has announced the hiring of Rod Headley and Greg Saunders as assistant coaches for the team.
"We are thrilled to welcome Rod and Greg to the City College Women’s Basketball family," Angeli said. "They both bring a tremendous amount of experience, enthusiasm and energy to the program, while possessing completely different skill sets. They each come from successful backgrounds, and recognize the importance of their roles as both a coach and teacher."
Headley spent the previous five seasons at Peekskill High School, serving as the head girls’ basketball coach and middle school health teacher. Headley’s overall coaching record at Peekskill was 86-27, winning the school’s first ever Girls Basketball State Championship during the 2010-11 season. His accomplishments that season also included a New York State High School Athletics Class A Coach of the Year honor. Headley was also a 2-time NYS Section 1 Class A, League 1-C Coach of the Year recipient. In his five years at Peekskill, Headley has produced 10 collegiate players (2 division one, 2 division two and 6 division three). One of his former players, Sheridan Taylor, will be a senior this season for CUNY athletic conference powerhouse Baruch College.
Headley played collegiate basketball at SUNY Cortland College in Cortland, NY, starting at small forward for three out of his four seasons of participation. He earned All SUNYAC Tournament Team honors during the 2005-06 season, a year in which they recorded a 24-5 record, the best in school history. He was named captain of the team during the 2006-07 season.
Headley earned a B.S. in Health Education from SUNY Cortland in 2008 and an M.A. in Physical Education and Coaching from Manhattanville College in 2012.
"Rod’s successful experience as both a collegiate player and high school girls’ basketball coach in the area will be a huge benefit to our players and program," Angeli remarked. "Anytime you can bring in a state championship coach with recruiting ties to the area, it will no doubt make an immediate impact from top to bottom. I am really looking forward to working with Coach Headley."
Saunders played high school basketball at Haaren High School in Midtown Manhattan, New York, earning all-city honors. He went on to play collegiate basketball at division one Dartmouth College where he achieved All Ivy League honorable mention. He also won the Alvin F. "Doggie" Julian Award for Spirit and Enthusiasm for the 1981-82 season.
Saunders’ coaching experience includes stints as an assistant basketball coach for the Aquinas High School girls’ basketball team and has also coached boys and girls AAU teams for the Bronx Lady Hawks and Back to Basics High School girls. In addition to coaching, Saunders is a certified referee for the P.S.A.L. boys and girls basketball league.
Saunders worked as a Lab Technician in the Biology Department for over twenty years at the City College of New York, teaching students to grow cells as well as different projects in the field of T-cell development. He retired from CCNY in February of 2013.
"Greg Saunders is a wonderful person with a unique story that I think our players will appreciate," said Angeli. "His commitment and dedication to developing the entire ‘scholar-athlete’ was quite evident during the interview process. I see Coach Saunders taking on the very important role as an academic support person in addition to his coaching duties."
Headley and Saunders join Angeli, strength and conditioning coach Anika Rivera and volunteer assistant coach Syreeta Williams on the Beaver’s coaching staff. Williams, a former 1,000+ point scorer in the Beaver’s women’s basketball program, just concluded her four years of playing eligibility at the end of the 2013-14 season.
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