Tim Taylor, the new head coach of the Navy Women’s Basketball program, will begin announcing his coaching staff for the upcoming 2020-21 season this week. The first member of the staff is a familiar face for those who have followed the program as Jimmy Colloton will be returning as an assistant coach for his seventh season in Annapolis.
“Jimmy has a well-earned reputation within the women’s collegiate ranks as well as at the Naval Academy,” remarked Taylor. “Working with Jimmy over the last month has given me insight into the depth of his basketball knowledge and how much he values teaching. It is apparent our values for player development on and off the court align and will help us to continue to lay a foundation for the success of our student-athletes. I am really excited to work with Jimmy in building our program at all levels.”
“I am extremely thankful to Coach Tim Taylor and AD Chet Gladchuk for the tremendous opportunity to be a part of the women’s basketball program,” said Colloton. “The Naval Academy is a special place that has produced some of our country’s greatest leaders and it has been an honor for me to work with our Midshipmen student-athletes over the past six years. Coach Taylor is one of the most respected coaches in our game and I am excited by the chance to learn from him and his staff as we work to get our program back to the NCAA tournament and beyond. I can’t wait to get back on The Yard.”
Colloton joined the coaching staff at Navy prior to the 2014-15 season and in a short time he helped the team etch its name in the program record books starting in year three. In 2016-17, Colloton and the Mids posted a 24-10 record and a 14-4 mark in the Patriot League to finish in second place. During that postseason, Navy reached the championship game of the league tournament before later competing in the WNIT tournament and earning the schools’ first national postseason tournament victory when the Mids defeated George Washington, 61-51. The following year, Navy went 25-8 and 13-5 in league competition. Once again, Navy qualified for the WNIT and came within one point of knocking off Virginia Tech in the first round of the postseason tournament as the Hokies held on for the 56-55 victory. Those 25 wins in 2017-18 are the most in program history.
During his first two seasons, the foundation for the Mids’ future postseason success was built as Colloton helped Navy to a 17-14 record and berth in the Patriot League semifinals that initial 2014-15 season. After the team went 15-15 in his second year on the bench, the Mids broke through into the upper echelon of Patriot League programs with 49 combined wins over the 2016-17 and 2017-18 campaigns.
Over the past two seasons, Colloton has helped a trio of Midshipmen student-athletes earn individual playing honors from the Patriot League as Jennifer Coleman was named to the All-Patriot League Third Team and All-Freshman Team in 2018-19 before Mary Kate Ulasewicz played her way onto the All-Patriot League Third Team in 2019-20. Ulasewicz’ fellow senior Morgan Taylor also garnered a nod this past offseason as a member of the Patriot League All-Defensive Team.
Prior to Navy, Colloton spent three years on the women’s basketball staff at Indiana. After serving as a graduate assistant for the 2011-12 and 2012-13 seasons, he was tabbed as an interim assistant coach for the 2013-14 season. His three-year stint at the school was capped by the Hoosiers posting a 21-13 record this past season and advancing to the quarterfinal round of the 2014 WNIT.
Colloton served as a student assistant coach for the Wittenberg (Springfield, Ohio) men’s basketball team while attending the school as an undergraduate. The Tigers, who have compiled the most wins on the NCAA Division III level, advanced to the second round of the 2011 NCAA Tournament when Colloton was a senior.
The native of Arlington Heights, Ill., graduated with honors from Wittenberg in 2011 as an economics major. He also attained a master’s degree in sport administration from Indiana in 2013.
