May 11, 2009
Wellesley College Names Kroll Head Basketball Coach
WELLESLEY, Mass. - Wellesley College Director of Athletics
Bridget Belgiovine is pleased to announce the hiring of Jennifer
Kroll as Head Basketball Coach and PERA Assistant
Professor.
"The Wellesley basketball program will be led by a highly
successful, coach, teacher and mentor for our student-athletes,"
said Bridget Belgiovine, Director of Athletics. "We look
forward to the next era for Wellesley basketball and our
student-athletes."
Now entering her 11th year as a head basketball
coach, Kroll boasts an overall record of 167-95 (.637) at three
Division-III institutions. As the 2007 NCAA East Region and Liberty
League Coach of the Year, as well as the 2000 Empire 8 Coach of the
Year, Kroll served on the NCAA East Regional Advisory Committee
from 2007 to 2009.
"I am thrilled to accept the position at Wellesley College. The
level of engagement of the student-athlete in every aspect of their
experience is what impressed me most," said Kroll. "I am
excited about building relationships within the Wellesley community
and expanding on the department's rich tradition of success."
Kroll comes to Wellesley after a successful five-year stint at
St. Lawrence University where she guided the Saints to an
impressive 101-35 (.742) overall mark with a 56-14 (.800) Liberty
League record. Most recently, Kroll led the Saints to a 10-4
Liberty League mark in the 2008-09 season, while wrapping up the
third consecutive NCAA Tournament berth and the second straight
conference championship for the program.
Prior to coaching at St. Lawrence, Kroll spent four seasons at
the University of Chicago where, in 2000-01, she guided the Maroons
to a 15-9 record, marking the program's first winning season in six
years. Overall, she compiled a 45-53 record at the helm of
the program while also serving on several campus-wide committees
including the Ratner Center Opening Ceremonies Committee, the
Professional Expectations Committee, and the Personnel
Reappointment Committee.
Kroll started her head-coaching career at Ithaca College for the
Bomber's 1999-2000 campaign. In just one season, she Kroll guided
Ithaca to a 21-7 mark, the ECAC Upstate New York championship, and
a share of the Empire 8 Conference title.
Before Ithaca, Kroll served as an assistant coach at Cornell
University from 1995-99 and as a graduate assistant at the
University of Kentucky from 1992-94.
A 1991 graduate of Northwestern University, Kroll played in two
NCAA Division I tournaments and was part of the 1990 Big Ten
Conference championship team. She earned her bachelor's degree at
Northwestern in 1991 and her master's degree in sports management
at Kentucky in 1995.
Kroll takes over at Wellesley following the retirement of
18-year head coach, Kathy Hagerstrom.