St. A’s names assistant

Saint Anselm College women’s basketball head coach Julie Plant announced Friday that Amanda Shannon has been hired as an assistant coach, effective immediately. Shannon is the first hire for Plant, who took over the reins of the program July 1.

"I am extremely excited to have Amanda join our Hawk women’s basketball family," Plant said. "She brings so much enthusiasm and passion for the game. Her outgoing personality is infectious and her positive attitude makes people want to work hard for her. Having coached and played in the Northeast-10 Conference, Amanda knows what it takes to be successful and will mentor our players and help lead our program to future successes."

Shannon arrives on the Hilltop after spending last season as an assistant coach at Stonehill College. She helped guide the Skyhawks to a 24-5 overall record, including 19-3 in Northeast-10 play. Stonehill earned its 21st NCAA Tournament berth and advanced to the regional semifinal.

Prior to her stop at Stonehill, Shannon served as an assistant coach at Mount Ida College during the 2011-12 season. The Mustangs posted a 14-12 mark that year and garnered a trip to the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) tournament.

Shannon began her coaching career as assistant coach at her alma mater, Merrimack College, during the 2010-11 season. She engaged in practice planning and preparation, broke down game film and helped organize and track the Warriors’ community service engagements. She helped guide the team to a spot in the NE-10 Championship that season.

Shannon has also gained coaching experience as head coach of the Mass Lady Warriors AAU program, while also working as an assistant with the Mass Huskies AAU and serving as camp counselor at several area summer camps.

Shannon is a 2009 graduate of Merrimack, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in communication studies. She was a four-year letterwinner for the Warriors, serving as captain her senior season. Shannon was a two-time All Northeast-10 performer, earning Second Team honors as a senior after collecting Third Team accolades her junior season. She finished her career with over 1,000 career points. Shannon was her team’s representative on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, serving as treasurer, for three years.

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