Western Connecticut State University Athletic Director Lori Mazza has announced the hiring of Maria Conlon as the Wolves’ head women’s basketball coach. Conlon, a 2005 graduate of the University of Connecticut and a three-time NCAA Division I National Champion as a member of the Huskies’ women’s basketball squad, comes to WestConn after a highly-successful career as a collegiate assistant and a head high school coach.
“As we round out our staff for this year, we are so excited to have Maria join our family and lead the women’s basketball program,” said Mazza. “As you can see by her accolades, both as a player and coach, we look forward to having her continue that success here at WestConn. Her experiences at various levels give Maria the blend of proficiency needed at this time and a vision for our long-term success. Her knowledge, competitiveness and well-rounded experiences in the real world will not only be a great mentor on the floor but off the floor. I know the players are excited to get started and establish a strong foundation for Maria’s tenure here as our head coach.”
Most recently, Conlon was the head coach at Greens Farms Academy in Westport for the last two years where she led that team to the post-season each winter and had multiple athletes recruited to play at the college level. Prior to Greens Farms, Conlon coached for four seasons and for three as head coach at Notre Dame High School in Fairfield, winning three conference titles and a State title and earning Connecticut HS Coach of the Year recognition. Conlon began her coaching career as a student assistant under the guidance of UConn Head Coach Geno Auriemma in 2004-05. She went on to coach an International team in Iceland, before serving as an assistant coach at Southern Connecticut State University and helping that program win the NCAA Division II National title in 2007.
“I am so excited to be a part of the WestConn community and to grow a successful women’s basketball program,” said Conlon. “The University’s core values are perfectly aligned with mine. I am thrilled to be able to work with the current student-athletes and to offer many more opportunities to play college basketball in the future. In such an exciting time in women’s sport, Athletic Director Lori Mazza has us positioned for future success and I am committed to leading us in the classroom and on the court. I want to thank all of my former student-athletes, coaches and colleagues for giving me the experience and inspiration to get to this level and want to thank my family and friends for their ongoing support as I take on this new venture. Go Pack!”
A member of the Connecticut Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame and a Seymour native, Conlon has also been an analyst for Fairfield University women’s basketball broadcasts. She founded the BattleCon AAU basketball program that serves athletes from fifth to 12th grade in Southwest Connecticut as well as a speaking platform with a focus on empowering youth.
https://westconnathletics.com/news/2024/10/2/womens-basketball-westconn-conlon.aspx
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