Cathy Inglese Named Head Women's Basketball Coach

April 14, 2009

• Press Conference Video - Part 1
• Press Conference Video - Part 2
• Inglese's Coaching Record
• What They're Saying About Cathy Inglese
• Press Conference quotes

"We are thrilled to be announcing Cathy Inglese as our new women's basketball head coach at the University of Rhode Island," said Thorr Bjorn, URI director of athletics. "Cathy is one of the most highly-respected coaches among her peers and she has been a winner in all of her previous endeavors. We are excited to be working with her to build a championship program here at URI."

Inglese owns a 393-253 (.608) career coaching record in 22 seasons as a head coach. Most recently, the Wallingford, Conn. native served as Boston College's head coach from 1993-2008, registering a 273-179 (.604) overall record. The Eagles finished with 20-or-more wins in eight of her 15 seasons in Chestnut Hill. She guided Boston College to seven NCAA Tournament appearances and one trip to the WNIT. Under her direction, the Eagles made three trips to the NCAA Sweet 16 (2003, 2004 and 2006) and posted a program-high national ranking of No. 14 (USA Today) at the end of the 2003-04 season.

"I am so excited to be at the University of Rhode Island," Inglese said. "I have had many great conversations with Thorr Bjorn and I truly believe that this program has the potential to be excellent. I look forward to building relationships and engaging the athletic department as a part of the growth process. It is going to be an entire team effort. I am just so thrilled be a part of the URI family."

"The University of Rhode Island is extremely fortunate to be able to bring such an experienced and successful coach to our women's basketball program," added Dr. Robert L. Carothers, University president. "Cathy Inglese has been a great coach wherever she has been, and she has the enviable record of graduating every one of her senior players. Of all the athletic programs at URI, women's basketball has the greatest upside for the future, and Cathy is the right person to lead us there."

Prior to her stint at Boston College, Inglese served as head coach at the University of Vermont for seven seasons, posting a 120-74 (.619) record. During that time, her Catamounts registered some of the best regular season performances in NCAA women's basketball history. From 1991-93, Inglese's UVM teams set an NCAA record for consecutive regular season wins. The 1991-92 team posted a 29-0 regular season record, while the 1992-93 squad finished the regular season with a 28-0 mark. It was the first time in NCAA history that a women's basketball team had consecutive undefeated regular seasons.

From 1990-93, Inglese's teams achieved an impressive 79-9 record while capturing two North Atlantic Conference (NAC) regular-season and tournament championships. Vermont became the first NAC team to earn an at-large berth to the 1992 and 1993 NCAA tournaments. The Catamounts also earned their first-ever national ranking (both the Associated Press and USA Today polls) under her guidance.

Equally as important, Inglese has established a barometer of success off the court as well. In her 22-years of coaching at the Division I level, she has enjoyed a perfect graduation rate. Each student-athlete who has exhausted their eligibility under her direction has gone on to earn their degree.

In addition to her collegiate coaching duties, Inglese has also spent time on several USA Basketball coaching staffs. Most recently, she was an assistant coach with the gold medal-winning World University Games team in the summer of 2005. Prior to that, she served as one of the court coaches for the USA Basketball Women's Summer Development Camp/R. William Jones Cup Team Trials (2000). Inglese was one of four coaches that worked with players competing for a roster spot on the Jones Cup team.

Following her 1998-99 season at BC, Inglese served as the coach of the 1999 Big East/Nike Women's Basketball All-Star Team, which took a five-game tour of Belgium and Germany. The team finished the exhibition schedule with a 4-1 record.

Inglese is also active in many off-court organizations and activities. Included among her many speaking engagements and public appearances have been stints with Reebok, USA Basketball and several clinics and camps. She is a former member of the Board of Directors for the WBCA and served as District I Coordinator of the Kodak All-America Committee.

A 1980 magna cum laude graduate of Southern Connecticut State University, Inglese was a standout basketball and softball player. As a senior, Inglese was selected as the school's outstanding female student-athlete and was inducted into the SCSU Athletic Hall of Fame (1992). Inglese is also a member of the Connecticut Softball Hall of Fame.

After graduation from Southern Connecticut in 1980, she had professional tryouts with the Dallas Diamonds and New Jersey Gems. Inglese began her coaching career at Glastonbury (Conn.) High School that same year.

In 1983, she became assistant basketball coach and assistant athletic director at the University of New Hampshire, a position she held for three years until accepting the head coaching post at Vermont in 1986. Inglese earned her master's degree in education (counseling) from New Hampshire in 1987.

Inglese has been recognized for her contribution to basketball as both a player and a coach. In the summer of 2004, she was honored by the New England Basketball Hall of Fame as the New England Division I Coach of the Year. In the fall of 2008, she was inducted into the Athletics Hall of Fame at Vermont for her achievements as a coach.

Inglese is also a member of the Massachusetts Chapter of the Italian-American Sports Hall of Fame (2000), the Tap-Off Club of Greater New Haven Hall of Fame, the Sheehan High School Hall of Fame (1997) and the Connecticut Women's Basketball Hall of Fame (1996). She was inducted into the New Agenda Northeast Hall of Fame in Nov. 2005, for advancing the role of women in sports.