Suffolk Athletics has named Allison Chernow interim head coach of the Rams women’s basketball program.
Chernow brings a wealth of collegiate coaching, recruiting and leadership experience to Suffolk, including previous head coaching experience at the NCAA Division III level and two seasons on the staff at Lehigh.
“We are excited to welcome Allison to Suffolk and have her lead our women’s basketball program this season,” McConnell said. “Her experience as both a head coach and assistant, her proven ability as a recruiter and her commitment to developing student-athletes on and off the court make her a great fit for our program. We look forward to seeing her build upon the foundation already in place.”
“I am thrilled to join the Suffolk community and lead the women’s basketball program into its next chapter,” Chernow said. “I am grateful to Cary (McConnell) and the Suffolk Athletics Department for the opportunity and for their confidence in me. I recognize the legacy Coach Ed Leyden leaves with the Suffolk women’s basketball program and look forward to building on its tradition of excellence.”
Chernow continued, “Suffolk is a unique university, and its location in the heart of Boston provides student-athletes with an incredible college experience. I am excited to build a program that challenges our student-athletes to grow, compete at a high level, and represent Suffolk with great pride.”
Chernow comes to Suffolk after spending the last two years as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Lehigh. During her time with the Mountain Hawks, Lehigh captured the 2025 Patriot League regular-season and tournament championships to earn the league’s automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament. Lehigh followed that championship campaign with a return trip to the Patriot League Tournament title game and a WNIT appearance in 2026. She mentored and developed six all-league players over her two seasons at Lehigh, including the Patriot League Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2024-2025.
As Lehigh’s recruiting coordinator, Chernow oversaw the program’s recruiting strategy and database, while coordinating recruiting efforts throughout the United States and internationally. She also played an integral role in player development, scouting, game planning and the program’s leadership initiatives.
Prior to Lehigh, Chernow spent four seasons at Wheaton, including the 2023-24 campaign as interim head coach. In her season at the helm, she guided the Lyons to double-digit victories for the second consecutive campaign and managed all facets of the program, including staff, scheduling, fundraising, alumnae engagement and stu1dent-athlete development.
Chernow originally joined Wheaton as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator in 2020. During her tenure, she helped guide the Lyons back to the NEWMAC Tournament in 2022-23 for the program’s first postseason appearance in seven years. She also mentored the 2021-22 NEWMAC Rookie of the Year.
Her coaching résumé is complemented by a successful playing career at Emory, where Chernow was a four-year member and two-year captain of the women’s basketball program. She earned a pair of All-University Athletic Association (UAA) honors and was recognized as the UAA Player of the Week twice during her career, and was named the USWNBA National Player of the week in her junior campaign.
Her basketball experience also extends beyond the collegiate sidelines. Chernow participated in the WBCA’s “So You Want To Be A Coach” program, worked Ivy League basketball camps at Yale and Princeton and attended the USA Basketball Women in the Game Conference. In 2017, she won a gold medal as a member of the United States Open Women’s Basketball Team at the World Maccabiah Games in Israel.
A 2020 graduate of Emory, Chernow earned her Bachelor of Arts in Media Studies.
Chernow takes over a Suffolk women’s basketball program with a storied history of 30-plus postseason appearances over the last 35 years and aims to bring the blue-and-gold back to the league tournament in 2026-27.
https://www.gosuffolkrams.com/sports/wbkb/2026-27/releases/20261013f8z23p
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