SUNY Potsdam Director of Athletics James Zalacca has announced that Brittany Cohen, former SUNY Cortland standout and granddaughter of Bears Hall of Famer Stan Cohen, will be the new head coach of the women’s basketball program.
“Her success as a player within the SUNYAC combined with her overall knowledge of our conference and ability to establish positive relationships quickly moved her to the top of an extremely talented applicant pool”, said Zalacca. “Her youthful exuberance and work ethic honed during her experience in both the college and professional game should lend itself well to reestablishing our basketball program. The Cohen legacy has always commanded respect and admiration within our area and state. Grandpa Stan is sure to be smiling proudly. We’re thrilled to have Brittany joining our staff and can’t wait for her arrival on campus and beginning work with our program.”
Cohen, a Fayetteville native, was a two-time SUNYAC Player of the Year and a WBCA Honorable Mention All-American with the Red Dragons. She averaged over 15 points-per-game and nearly six assists-per-game.
After graduating from Cortland in 2012 with a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology, Cohen turned her attention to coaching, where she has experience at nearly all levels of basketball. She spent the 2012-13 season as a graduate assistant for Division II Le Moyne College. The following season Cohen helped guide her alma mater Jamesville-DeWitt High School to the New York State Finals. She served as the top assistant for the Nazareth College women’s basketball team during the 2014-15 campaign, helping the Golden Flyers reach the Empire 8 Playoffs for the first time in 14 seasons.
Cohen spent this season in Texas working as the player development intern for Lisbon native Rick Carlisle’s Dallas Mavericks of the NBA. With the Mavs, Cohen assisted the coaching staff with practices and workouts and gathered advanced statistics for the team’s player development database.
“I am honored and humbled to be named the head women’s basketball coach at SUNY Potsdam,” Cohen said. “I would like to thank Athletic Director Jim Zalacca, as well as the entire search committee, for giving me this incredible opportunity. This school is a very special place for my family and me. My grandfather coached here and I have been around the community all my life. I am very excited to be coaching in the same league in which I played and most importantly, I am looking forward to working with our student-athletes.”
Cohen is nearing the completion of her master’s in sport management with a specialization in intercollegiate athletic administration from California University of Pennsylvania.
http://potsdambears.com/news/2016/4/28/cohenWBB042816.aspx
Photo Courtesy SUNY Potsdam Athletics
Tagged with: DIII SUNYAC
