With the new season just two weeks away, Head Coach Dan Raymond and the Ithaca Women’s Basketball program are pleased to welcome back Mary Kate Tierney ’14.
Following a two-year stint at New York University, Tierney returns to South Hill as Raymond’s assistant, replacing Devin Shea who transitioned into a head coaching role at Elmira.
“I am beyond excited and grateful to be afforded the opportunity to return to Ithaca College, my alma mater, as the newest Women’s Basketball Assistant Coach,” said Tierney. “Ithaca College, the athletic department, and this program had such a positive impact on my collegiate experience. My goal is to help provide that same experience to our current student athletes.”
In her time at NYU, Tierney helped guide the Violets to back-to-back winning seasons, making the fourth and fifth consecutive winning seasons for the program.
During her first year with the Violets, Tierney helped develop two all-conference players in Amy Harioka and Shaye McGoey as well as two 1,000-point scorers in Harioka and Kaitlyn Read. The team finished the year with a 14-13 overall record.
In Tierney’s second year with NYU, Read was named All-ECAC First Team, D3Hoops.com East Region Player of the Year as well as First Team All-American, CoSIDA First Team Academic All-America and Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) All-American.
Last season, the Violets posted an overall record of 18-11, which was the best in three seasons.
Prior to her time at NYU, Tierney was an assistant coach at Dickinson in Carlisle, Pa. for two years under Ithaca alum Katherine Bixby.
Tierney played an integral role for the Red Devils and helped lead the team to its first conference tournament in seven seasons during the 2015-16 campaign.
During her time at Ithaca, Tierney put together an impressive career for the Bombers. After transferring from Division I Bryant University, Tierney made an immediate impact on South Hill, becoming the program’s fifth WBCA All-American as a senior.
Additionally, she was named to the D3Hoops.com All-East Region Second Team, First Team All-Empire 8 and was named MVP of the Empire 8 Championship.
Tierney was a key player in the Bombers’ 2014 run into the program’s first-ever Elite 8, after posting a triple-double the Sweet 16 with 14 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists.
During her senior campaign, Tierney set a single-season record for three pointers with 72, which still stands today. She also holds the record for the most three-pointers in a single game with seven.
Tierney still ranks among the program’s best in single-season scoring average (13.7), single-season rebounding average (8.5), single-season assists average (3.9) and career three-pointers (118).
“We are very excited to welcome Mary Kate back to IC,” said Raymond. “She brings energy and passion as well as significant experience recruiting high achieving students at her two previous positions. Her personality combined with her high basketball IQ will provide us with a new dynamic with regards to ideas and strategies on and off the court.”
The Ithaca women’s basketball team opens up the season on Friday, November 16 against Blackburn College at Washington University’s McWilliams Classic.
https://athletics.ithaca.edu/news/2018/10/3/mary-kate-tierney-14-joins-womens-basketball-staff.aspx
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