American University Director of Athletics and Recreation JM Caparro has announced the hiring of Kelly Killion as the next head coach of the Eagles’ women’s basketball program. A respected leader with a proven track record as both a coach and former standout player, Killion brings a wealth of experience and a winning pedigree to the AU sidelines.
“We’re excited to welcome Kelly Killion to American University and to entrust her with leading our women’s basketball program into a new era. We know we have work to do, and Kelly’s energy, experience, and commitment to building strong, student-centered teams make her the right person to guide that process. Her track record as both a coach and a player speaks for itself, and we’re confident she’ll bring a renewed sense of purpose and competitiveness to our program.”
JM Caparro, Director of Athletics and Recreation
Killion comes to American after a distinguished, nine-year tenure at the University of Pennsylvania, where she served as associate head coach and recruiting coordinator for the past three seasons, and assistant coach/recruiting coordinator prior to that. During her time with the Quakers, Killion played a pivotal role in overseeing the success of two Ivy League championship teams across two tenures with the Quakers, including the program’s fourth title in a six-year span in 2018-19 when the Quakers went 24-7 overall and 12-2 in league play.
“I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to lead the women’s basketball program at American University,” said Killion. “After many special years at Penn, I’m excited to bring everything I’ve learned to this new chapter in D.C. My family and I are looking forward to joining the AU community, and I’m ready to get to work building a culture our student-athletes and fans can be proud of. There’s a strong foundation here, and I believe in what this program can become.”
Kelly Killion
After an initial stint at Penn from 2010–12, Killion served as an assistant coach at Sacred Heart for one season before spending three seasons at William & Mary. While with the Tribe, she helped lead the program to back-to-back 15-win campaigns—tied for the fourth-most in school history—and its first-ever postseason appearance with a bid to the 2015 Women’s Basketball Invitational.
As a player, Killion had an illustrious career at Holy Family University. She was a four-year letterwinner and a three-time team captain, a two-time Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Player of the Year, a two-time ECAC first-team selection, and a two-time second-team selection. She earned her bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Holy Family in 2008, and was named to the Holy Family Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2021 while her 2007-08 team was inducted into the 2017 CACC Hall of Fame.
Details about a public introductory press conference for Coach Killion will be announced as soon as they are confirmed.
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