Marymount University Assistant Vice President and Director of Athletics and Recreation Jill McCabe has announced that Head Women’s Basketball Coach Ashlee Rogers will be stepping down following an impressive 11-year run leading the program.
“It has been an honor to be the Head Coach of the women’s basketball team at my alma mater for the past eleven years. It has been an incredible journey that has allowed me the opportunity to coach some of the best student-athletes in the country,” Rogers said. “My teams have played with such discipline, passion and grit, but I am most proud of the strong, confident women they have become.”
Following a Hall of Fame career on the court with the Saints from 1999-00 through 2003-04, Rogers returned to the Marymount sidelines ahead of the 2010-11 season as the Head Coach. Over the past decade-plus, she accumulated a record of 207-75, including a 117-30 clip in conference play. Prior to MU, Rogers coached four seasons at Franklin & Marshall College and has a career coaching record of 256-128. While at Marymount, she never suffered a losing season.
“I love coaching, I love Marymount, and I love the tradition of success that we have been able to continue after Coach Bill Finney retired, but at this time, I feel I need to commit more of my time to my own children,” Rogers added. “While it has been a very difficult decision to make, I believe it is the right decision for my family.”
Rogers guided her teams to four total conference championships, including Capital Athletic Conference titles in 2012-13 and 2017-18. Ahead of the 2018-19 season, she pioneered the team through the transition into the Atlantic East Conference, picking up right where she left off with two Atlantic East titles in 2018-19 and 2019-20.
The program has advanced to the NCAA Division III tournament five times under Rogers’ tutelage, including earning a bid to host the first two rounds of the tournament in 2019-20. The Saints defeated Gettysburg College, 68-48, in a first-round contest that season. During the 2016-17 season, the team advanced to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA tournament, which marked the deepest postseason run in Rogers’ tenure.
“Ashlee has been a consistent figure in Marymount’s Converse Family Fieldhouse and had a very impressive career both as a player and a coach,” McCabe said. “I am sorry I didn’t have the opportunity to see her in action on the sideline. Ashlee will be missed and has left big shoes to fill. We support her decision and wish her nothing but success in her next chapter.”
She earned four conference Coach of the Year awards, earning The Bill Finney CAC Coach of the Year award in 2012-13, 2015-16, and 2017-18. In 2019-20, she was honored with the Atlantic East Coaching Staff of the Year award.
In her time, Rogers coached two D3hoops.com All-Americans, as Katelyn Fischer won in 2012-13 and Katie McShea won in 2019-20. McShea was named a Women’s Basketball Coaches’ Association All-American in 2019-20, as well. Fischer, also, won the illustrious Josten’s Trophy in 2013-14.
She also had four Saints earn Conference Player of the Year honors. Maame Amponsah won CAC Player of the Year in 2010-11, after tying for first in the country with 15.6 rebounds per game that season. Fischer won in back-to-back seasons in 2011-12 and 2012-13, while Leah Hurst garnered the award in 2017-18. McShea was named the Atlantic East Player of the Year in 2019-20.
Fischer, Hurst, McShea, Kievanna Lacey, Nicole Viscuso, Regan Lohr, and Tyfanni McQueen all became members of the Marymount 1,000-point club under Rogers’ leadership, as well.
Following the 2018-19 season, Clare McNulty was honored with the Atlantic East Medal of Inspiration award.
Rogers teams always performed as well in the classroom as they did on the court, earning a spot in the WBCA Academic Honor Roll Top 25 three times.
Rogers was inducted into the Marymount Hall of Fame with the class of 2016, after finishing her playing career with the program record for games played (127) and three-point field goals made (178). She currently sits second in the record books for three-pointers and seventh with 1,283 career points. During her playing years, she helped her teams advance to the NCAA Division III Final Four, Elite Eight, and Sweet Sixteen twice. The 2001-02 team that advanced to the Final Four made the deepest postseason run in program history.
“I want to thank all of the University and Athletic administration, both past and present, for supporting me during my time here. I want to thank all of my assistant coaches and managers throughout the years, especially Coach Craig Courter. It has truly been a blessing to work with the best recruiting coordinator in the business who I also get to call ‘Dad’,” Rogers said. Lastly, I want to thank my husband for his support on and off the court. You can count on seeing my family and me cheering for all of our Saints’ teams, this year. The 2021-22 women’s basketball team is going to be a force to be reckoned with, this season. This team has what it takes to put another banner on the wall.”
The process to begin a national search for the next Head Women’s Basketball Coach is underway.
https://www.marymountsaints.com/general/2020-21/releases/20210617iy1kf3
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