Haverford College Director of Athletics Danielle Lynch has announced the hiring of Grace Elliott as head coach of the women’s basketball program. Elliott joins the Fords after spending the 2021-22 season as the Head Women’s Basketball Coach at Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio.
“I would like to thank Danielle Lynch, John McKnight, and the members of the search committee for this exceptional opportunity to lead the women’s basketball program at Haverford College, a program with such rich tradition at an institution that shares my values,” Elliott said. “I am so excited to lead this amazing group of young women and to continue the team’s commitment to excellence both on and off the court at one of the most prestigious liberal arts colleges in the country. I’m looking forward to getting started and making the Haverford community proud. Go Fords!”
In Elliott’s one season at Kenyon, she inherited a team that featured two classes worth of student-athletes that had never played a full collegiate season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Competing against some of the top programs in the nation in the always strong North Coast Athletic Conference, her squad overcame those challenges, coming together through adversity to notch six wins, including back-to-back triumphs over Muskingum and Earlham. The team was named a special mention to the WBCA Academic Top 25 Honor Roll, a distinction given for posting one of the top 40 cumulative team GPAs in the nation.
“We are thrilled to welcome a coach with Grace’s experience and skillset to our athletic department,” Lynch said. “She stood out in the search process as a leader that will foster an inclusive, supportive, and welcoming culture within the women’s basketball program here at Haverford. I am confident that her comprehensive and varied background of leadership experiences within the game of basketball will serve as a guide to continuing the on and off the court success of the program.”
Before her year at the helm of the Kenyon program, Elliott was the Head Women’s Basketball Coach at nearby Rosemont College for two seasons. After inheriting a roster of just nine players, Elliott guided Ke’Alohilani Naone-Carter to a season in which she garnered all-conference and all-region honors after ranking fifth in the nation with a scoring average of 23.2 points per game. As the head coach at Rosemont, Elliott simultaneously served as the college’s sports information director, providing coverage for the Ravens’ 13 varsity sports teams.
Prior to her arrival at Rosemont, Elliott served as an Assistant Coach at Amherst College during the 2018-19 season, helping guide the squad to a 25-4 record and a berth in the NCAA Division III “Sweet 16” That team also featured two All-American performers.
Elliott also adds professional playing experience as she made the trek overseas to both play and coach professionally for Team Newcastle while pursuing a graduate degree during the 2017-18 season. At Newcastle, Elliott was the starting center and led the team in rebounding and blocked shots.
Elliott began her collegiate playing career at Division II Adelphi University before transferring to Ramapo College, where she played her final two seasons, scoring 378 points, adding 247 rebounds, and 96 blocked shots. In her senior year, she was voted team captain and went on to earn NJAC all-conference honors.
A native of Detroit, Michigan, Elliott is a 2016 graduate of Ramapo College with a bachelor’s degree in communication arts. She earned her Master’s degree in Leadership and Management Studies from Newcastle University in 2018.
https://www.haverfordathletics.com/sports/wbkb/2022-23/releases/20220909k11473
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