Stevens Institute of Technology head women’s basketball coach Megan Haughey has announced the hiring of Alyssa Parsons as an assistant coach Friday. Parsons joins the program after serving as interim head coach at Pratt Institute.
“We are so excited for Alyssa to join our Duck family!” Haughey said. “She comes to us with a wealth of experience, having served as the interim head coach at Pratt, as well as her experience working with student-athletes in the areas of leadership and mental health. She will be an excellent contributor both to our staff and to the entire athletic department.”
A former Division I player at Rider University, Parsons entered the collegiate coaching ranks at Pratt, first as an assistant, before being elevated into the interim head coach role midway through the 2021-22 season.
While at Pratt, Parsons helped pilot the Cannoneers through their inaugural season in the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference, alongside national powers Christopher Newport and Salisbury. Under Parsons’ guidance and tutelage, graduate student Katy O’Connor earned Second Team All-C2C honors after leading the league in both points and rebounds.
“I am extremely excited to be joining the women’s basketball program and the athletic community at Stevens,” Parson said. “I want to thank Coach Haughey for giving me the opportunity to be a part of the successful program she has built in Hoboken. I look forward to partnering with the student-athletes in continuing to foster a supportive environment, while also helping them individually develop the skills they need to achieve their full potential on and off the court.”
Parsons appeared in 78 career games at Rider, including 47 starts. The Ivyland, Pennsylvania native was a three-year team captain and finished her time as a Bronc with 289 points and 173 assists and sank 52 three-pointers, while shooting 75% from the free-throw line. Parsons was an active member of Rider’s SAAC and served as president of the Student-Athlete Mentor Group from 2010-12. Additionally, Parsons was active with the athletic department’s community service initiatives with Ronald McDonald House and Relay for Life.
“What a great hire for Stevens women’s basketball!” commented Rider University’s head women’s basketball coach Lynn Milligan. “Alyssa’s presence will be felt immediately and in such a positive way. She will inspire her players on and off the court with her success, energy and knowledge of the game. She wasn’t only a great player for us, but she was a tremendous leader with a high work ethic. I am very proud of her and how she continues to represent RIDER WBB still to this day.”
In addition to her time on the sidelines, Parsons is the founder and CEO of Athelite Evolution, a peak performance coaching service for elite collegiate and high school athletes, which specializes in mental agility, financial and leadership development and nutrition.
Prior to entering the coaching ranks, Parsons worked in the private sector as both an accountant and an investment banker. Following her graduation from Rider, Parsons began her coaching career as an AAU coach with the Northeast Rockers organization.
Parsons graduated from Rider with a degree in finance in 2012 and would go on to earn both her Master of Business Administration degree and her Doctor of Law degree from Drexel University in 2018.
