Slippery Rock University women’s basketball head coach Ryenn Micaletti has announced the hiring of Christian Harbaugh as The Rock’s new assistant coach.
“I am thrilled to welcome Christian to SRU,” said Micaletti. “Christian’s enthusiasm and passion for the sport is critical for building successful teams. He has worked under elite level coaches and trained some of the best women’s college basketball players of this generation.
Christian is a basketball junkie who’s winning experience will take our program to the next level. His work ethic on and off the floor aligns with our program’s pursuit of excellence.”
Harbaugh, who officially started his tenure at Slippery Rock on Oct. 2, has compiled a wealth of coaching experience and success prior to his arrival at The Rock. Most recently, Harbaugh spent the 2022-23 as an assistant coach at Butler County Community College.
Under Western Pennsylvania Collegiate Conference Coach of the Year, and Slippery Rock alumnus, Joe Lewandowski, Harbaugh helped to lead BC3 to a 20-4 record, a WPCC Tournament title and a Region 20 championship on the way to being ranked seventh in the year-end National Junior College Athletic Association rankings.
With Harbaugh on the sidelines, the Pioneers finished the 2022-23 season leading NJCAA Division III in blocked shots per game in addition to ranking fourth in turnovers per game, seventh in field goal percentage, 16th in assists per game and 18th in opponent scoring.
Prior to his time at Butler County Community College, Harbaugh spent four seasons as an assistant in the Point Park University men’s basketball program where he assisted in leading Point Park to three River States Conference Tournament berths and a regular season title in 2020.
In addition to his collegiate coaching experience, Harbaugh has also been extensively involved with USA Basketball’s 3×3 men’s and women’s programs. He was a part of coaching staffs for teams that claimed silver medalist honors at the 2022 U-23 Women’s World Cup and the 2022 Men’s World Cup as well as bronze medalist honors at the 2022 U-23 Nations League.
Among the many athletes Harbaugh coached as part of the USA Basketball 3×3 program were Maddy Siegrist, the third overall pick in the 2023 WNBA Draft, and 2022-23 ACC Defensive Player of the Year Celeste Taylor of Duke University.
Harbaugh is a double graduate from Point Park where he earned his undergraduate degree in sports, arts & entertainment management in 2017 as well as a master’s in athletic coaching in 2020.
The addition of Harbaugh completes Micaletti’s inaugural coaching staff at SRU that also includes graduate assistant Deleah Gibson and student assistant Ryan Alexander.
Slippery Rock officially begins its 2023-24 regular season when it hosts Ursuline College 12 p.m. Nov. 18 at Morrow Field House.
