Caldwell College Executive Director of Athletics Mark A. Corino has announced the hiring of Kristina Danella as Associate Director of Athletics and head women’s basketball coach. Danella, a native of Manalapan, N.J., spent the 2013-14 season as the head coach at Division II Urbana (Ohio) University.
"We are excited to have Kristina join our staff, as her youthful enthusiasm and passion will be a great fit for our department," Corino said. "Her position is an important one in our department from both an administrative and coaching standpoint, and we feel she has the characteristics to be successful in both areas. Our women’s basketball program has been very competitive in our conference and region, and I am confident that Kristina will come in and continue the success that program is accustomed to. Additionally, Kristina has attended Catholic schools in the past and she embraces the Dominican mission of our institution."
Following her playing career at Division I Marist College, Danella went to Urbana as an assistant coach in July of 2013. When the head coach left unexpectedly in November, Danella was elevated to interim head coach. She proceeded to lead the Blue Knights to their most victories since 1998, compiling an 18-10 record and finishing fourth in the Mountain East Conference with a 14-8 mark in league play. In February, Urbana was ranked eighth in the NCAA Division II Atlantic Region rankings, the first regional ranking in program history. Another first was achieved when senior guard DeVonyea Johnson was named to the all-Atlantic Region first team at the end of the season.
"I am very excited and honored to become the new head coach at Caldwell College," Danella said. "I want to thank Mr. Corino, the athletic administrators, Dr. Nancy Blattner and the rest of the Caldwell family for giving me this opportunity. I am excited to learn from Mr. Corino’s immense amount of experience, success and knowledge, and I can’t wait to get out in the community, meet Caldwell’s fan base and share my vision for our future. Linda Cimino built a great program over the last eight years here and I look forward to continuing the successful Caldwell tradition as a top contender in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference."
As a player, Danella spent two seasons at Marist, earning Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Sixth Player of the Year honors as a senior in 2013. That year, she led the MAAC in three-point shooting (.410) and was 12th nationally in free throw shooting (.887) while averaging 9.1 points and 4.4 rebounds per game. Playing for coach Brian Giorgis, Danella helped the Red Foxes win two MAAC regular-season and tournament crowns while playing in two NCAA tournaments.
"We are ecstatic to see that Kristina is going home to New Jersey to be the head coach at Caldwell College," said Giorgis, who has a 304-87 record in 12 seasons at Marist. "She has risen up the coaching ladder in a very short period of time and will make an immediate impact for the Cougars this season."
Prior to her time at Marist, Danella started her collegiate career at the University of Massachusetts and was named to the Atlantic 10 Conference’s all-Rookie Team in 2009. She tied the school record for three-pointers in a season that year with 58, and was selected the A-10 Rookie of the Week four times. Over her collegiate career, Danella scored 1,126 points at both UMass and Marist.
Danella starred at Red Bank Catholic High School, leaving as the school’s all-time leading scorer and rebounder with 1,773 points and 1,156 rebounds. A three-time all-state first team honoree, she was a two-time Shore Conference Player of the Year and the 2007 Asbury Park Press Player of the Year.
Danella graduated from Marist in 2013 with a degree in psychology and special education.
Caldwell College has 15 intercollegiate athletics programs that compete at the NCAA Division II level in the CACC. Last season the women’s basketball team went 18-12 and advanced to the finals of the CACC Tournament for the second year in a row under Linda Cimino, who left in April to become the head coach at Binghamton University.
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