St. John’s women’s basketball head coach Joe Tartamella announced changes to his coaching staff for the 2022-23 season on Wednesday.
Tartamella elevated Candice Walker to from assistant coach to associate head coach. Shenneika Smith moved up into the second assistant role while Joe Rutigliano was named an assistant coach following a season as the team’s Assistant Director of Operations.
Candice Walker
“Candice is a rising star in our profession, and I am excited to have her serve as our associate head coach,” said Tartamella. “She has done a great job in a short period of time impacting our program in all areas.”
Walker will maintain her role spearheading the Johnnies recruiting efforts, as she takes on her new position. The Baltimore native brings nearly a decade of experience to the Red Storm program, having served both as a recruiting coordinator and an assistant coach at her previous stops.
Working primarily with the guards in 2021-22, Walker saw St. John’s Leilani Correa earn All-BIG East First Team honors. The Manchester, N.J., native was the first player to earn back-to-back first team honors since Aliyyah Handford, who received the accolade from 2013-16. The Red Storm also saw Kadaja Bailey‘s efforts rewarded by the Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association as she took home All-MET Third Team honors following her senior campaign.
Prior to her stop in Queens, Walker served as an assistant coach at her alma mater, Loyola Maryland and Massachusetts. During her time at UMass, helped the team improve from 9-21 in 2016-17 to a 20-win season (20-11) in 2019-20. This marked the Minutewomen’s first 20-win season since 1995-96. Following the stellar campaign, Walker earned the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association’s prestigious 30 Under 30 Award, an honor that recognizes up-and-coming coaches at all levels of women’s basketball.
Shenneika Smith
Smith will be moving up from her third assistant position into the second assistant coach spot.
“Shenneika has shown tremendous growth over her time with the program and will continue to bring great value to our student athletes,” said Tartamella.
Smith finished her fifth season as a member of the St. John’s coaching staff in 2021-22. She continues to climb the ranks, as she had previously served and an assistant director of operations in 2017-18 and as the third assistant on the staff from 2018-22.
In her first season as an assistant coach, Smith helped coach the Red Storm to an 81-74 upset over then-No. 8/7 Marquette. This win marked the best for the program in terms of national rankings since Feb. 18, 2012, when the Johnnies knocked off No. 2/2 UConn. In that game Smith netted a last second three-pointer to snap the Huskies’ 99-game home-court winning streak.
During her time as an assistant coach, Smith has played an instrumental role in both recruiting and player development. She saw Correa, Bailey, Tiana England and Qadashah Hoppie earn All-BIG EAST and All-Met recognition during her time as an assistant.
Joe Rutigliano
Rutigliano was elevated to assistant coach following the 2021-22 season where he served as the team’s Assistant Director of Operations. While in Queens, Rutigliano assisted with all aspects of the program, including film breakdown and scouting reports.
“Joe gained invaluable experience during his time at Cornell, Louisville and with us here at St. John’s this past year,” said Tartamella. “He is ready to step into the role of assistant coach. I look forward to having him positively impact our program in his new position.”
Prior to his time at St. John’s, Rutigliano spent the 2020-21 season serving as the assistant video coordinator at Louisville. Before his stop in Kentucky, he served as a volunteer assistant coach at Cornell in 2019-20. During his time with the Big Red, Rutigliano assisted in coaching many successful student-athletes, including All-Ivy League Honorable Mention Laura Bagwell-Katalinich.
Rutigliano began his career with a successful stint as a graduate assistant at Saint Francis. While at Saint Francis, Rutigliano focused on operations and film exchange for the Red Flash. Saint Francis tallied an overall 40-27 record over Rutigliano’s time with the program, earning a berth to the NCAA Tournament in 2018.
