Kelly Cole, a veteran women’s basketball coach with nearly 20 years’ experience at the Division I level, has been named the head coach at Wentworth Institute of Technology. Director of Athletics Cheryl Aaron made the announcement.
“We are super excited for a coach with Kelly’s resume to be joining our team at Wentworth,” said Aaron. “Kelly’s vibrant personality, commitment to the student-athlete experience, and basketball intellect will quickly be felt by the women’s basketball team, the athletic department and the Wentworth community.”
Cole comes to Wentworth most recently from the University of California Berekley, where she served as an assistant coach last season. While on staff, she helped the Bears improved their record from 1-16 in 2020-21 to 12-13 in 2021-22. She coached the Pac 12’s leading scorer and freshman of the year, Jayda Curry.
Spending seven seasons as the Head Women’s Basketball Coach at neighboring Northeastern University, Cole won 87 games, which ranks her third – one win less than second – on the Huskies’ career victory list. While during her first season Northeastern won just four games, the program had double-digit wins in each of the next five seasons, including posting a 36-27 (.571) mark from 2017-19. The 2017-18 campaign saw the Huskies finish 16-15 and make its first-ever appearance in the WBI, ending a 19-year drought in national postseason appearances. A season later, they finished 20-12 – the program’s third-highest win total in program history – and made an appearance in the WNIT. That squad also posted the program’s best-ever start and longest win streak (10). In each of her seven seasons, Northeastern appeared in the CAA Tournament, reaching the semifinals in 2016 and 2019. Cole developed five All-CAA selections and three student-athletes who went on to play professionally.
Cole spent time as an assistant coach at Northwestern (1995-97), Boston College (1997-06), and Harvard (2012-14). While at Northwestern she helped the Wildcats to postseason appearances in each of her two seasons, including a trip to the 1997 NCAA Tournament. During her time at Boston College (assistant coach 1997-04; associate head coach 2004-06), she was part of a program that had a 192-89 record, won the Big East Championship in 2004, and made seven trips to the NCAA Tournament, including advancing to the Sweet Sixteen in 2003, 2004, and 2006). At Harvard, she helped the Crimson to a 43-17 record, which included back-to-back WNIT appearances in 2013 and 2014. At each of her collegiate stops, she helped recruit classes ranked in the Top 25 nationally.
In addition to her experience at the Division I level, Cole served as the Head Girls Basketball Coach at Gann Academy in Waltham, Mass., and as the Head Girls Basketball Coach at Buckingham, Brown & Nichols in Cambridge, Mass.
Cole is a 1991 graduate of Northwestern, where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education and English. She was a four-year member of the Wildcats’ women’s basketball team, serving as a two-year captain and scoring 1,206 points during her career. Twice she was named Honorable Mention All-Big Ten.
“I am thrilled about the opportunity to be coaching again in the great city of Boston,” said Cole. “I am passionate about teaching and developing student-athletes and I am excited to grow the success of Wentworth women’s basketball and be a member of the Wentworth community.”
Photo Courtesy Wentworth Athletics
https://www.wentworthathletics.com/sports/wbkb/2022-23/releases/20220825k3nt7w
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