Kate Pearson has been named the head women’s basketball coach at Rowan University, it was announced by director of athletics John Giannini. Pearson becomes the 10th head coach in Profs’ history after 14 successful seasons at Cabrini University in which she led the Cavaliers to five conference titles and five NCAA Tournament appearances.
 
Pearson, who established Cabrini as a regional power, is the school’s all-time winningest coach with a 240-125 record (65.8 winning pct.) from 2008 to 2022 and in 2019, added the title of assistant athletic director.
 
Under her guidance, the Cavaliers recorded five seasons of 20-plus victories, earned five berths in the NCAA Tournament, and posted the first two NCAA wins in the program’s history. Cabrini won five Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) championships during her tenure and was the conference runner-up four times, most recently in the Atlantic East Conference in 2023.
 
“Coach Pearson has demonstrated the ability to build and sustain a highly successful program with record-setting accomplishments and consistent NCAA Tournament appearances. We anticipate great things ahead for Rowan Women’s Basketball,” said Giannini. “Coach Pearson checks every leadership characteristic we were looking for, including caring, discipline, confidence, consistency, and preparation. She is a perfect addition to our highly accomplished coaching staff.”
 
“I am honored for the opportunity to represent Rowan University and lead the women’s basketball program.  I want to extend my gratitude to Dr. Giannini and the search committee for entrusting me with this position,” Pearson said. “Rowan University has a great reputation of high academic excellence along with a tradition of athletic success.  The commitment to student development is evident amongst the coaches and staff which aligns with my values as a coach. I am excited for this new endeavor and the opportunity to be a part of the Rowan community!”
 
Pearson was honored as the league’s Coach of the Year four times, earning the CSAC award in 2013, 2015 and 2018, and the Atlantic East award in 2019.
 
This past year, Cabrini went 8-4 in the league, and 14-14 overall, and earned the third seed in the Atlantic East Conference Tournament before reaching the championship game and falling to top-seeded Marymount. She led Cabrini to the program’s first ECAC Championship in 2019-20, capping off a 22-8 season which saw the Cavaliers make their eighth straight appearance in the Atlantic East championship game. In 2017-18, Cabrini set the school record for victories with a 26-3 mark, while going 16-0 in the conference and capturing the fifth league title in Pearson’s tenure. The Cavaliers rode a 24-game winning streak into the NCAA Tournament, subsequently posting the program’s second NCAA win.
 
Cabrini won its fourth straight CSAC title in 2016, becoming the first team in conference history to claim four straight league titles. Pearson’s 2014-15 squad notched its third straight 24-win season and attained the first Top 25 ranking in program history. 
 
She received her first Coach of the Year recognition in 2013 after leading Cabrini to a 24-4 mark, as the Cavaliers put together a 19-game winning streak and captured the conference title. Her squad was one of the top defensive and rebounding teams in the nation that year, ranking third in rebounding margin and in three-point field goal defense.
 
Her Cabrini teams were strong off the court as well, displaying academic success with a team grade-point average of 3.2 or better each season.
 
Pearson has held numerous leadership roles in the sport and for the past few years was the women’s basketball chair for the Atlantic East and was a member of the NCAA Regional Advisory Committee.
 
After four years as an assistant coach at Cabrini, in which she was part of two conference championships, Pearson was elevated to the head position beginning with the 2009-10 season.
 
A standout during her playing career at the University of Scranton, Pearson (nee Pierangeli) was a two-time Kodak All-American (2003, 2004) and was named to the All-MAC First Team three times. She still ranks second on the Lady Royals’ all-time list for career three-point field goals made (181) and is 16th in scoring with 1,292 points. With Pearson in the backcourt from 2000 to 2004, Scranton captured two Middle Atlantic Conference titles and appeared in three NCAA Tournaments. Also a three-time All-MAC First Team honoree in lacrosse, she was inducted into the University of Scranton Wall of Fame in 2015.
 
The native of Springfield, PA, received her bachelor’s degree in communications from Scranton in 2004 and earned a master’s degree in education from Cabrini in 2015.
 
Pearson and her husband Mike, have two daughters, Kylie and Danielle.

https://www.rowanathletics.com/news/2023/7/25/kate-pearson-named-head-womens-basketball-coach.aspx

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