Monthly Archives: April 2024

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Hannah Varel is the perfect hire to continue Transylvania’s remarkable success

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Of the challenges a new head coach can face in taking the reins of a program, one of the toughest, undoubtedly, is succeeding a legend. And Juli Fulks was most certainly a legend in Lexington, Kentucky.

In 10 years at Transylvania, she took the Pioneers to a place of unprecedented success, after doing the same in 10 seasons on the West Coast at Lewis & Clark. She went 400-143 in 20 seasons at the D-III level and 91-2 over her final three years at Transy. That, of course, included the perfect 33-0 season in 2022-23, one that culminated with the program’s first national title.

But that chapter has closed in her coaching career, as another prepares to be written. This morning in Huntington, West Virginia, Fulks was introduced at a press conference as the new head coach at Division I Marshall University, with much excitement from the administration and fan base. She’s taking on a new challenge now, with a program that has significant goals coming off its NCAA Tournament appearance this past March.

“Our job is to take these young women and help them grow, not only as student-athletes, which matters, but helps them grow as people, as leaders, as future professionals,” Fulks said at Tuesday’s press conference. “My job is to make sure they feel seen every single day. That we know what they care about. What matters to them not only on the court, but off [the court].”

“And our other job is to chase championships. That piece matters. The only way you win championships is by doing all the work that it takes. You can’t earn those without the time. And you learn lessons about yourself that don’t come any other way.”

At the same time in Lexington, Hannah Varel is in her first week as Transylvania’s new head coach, aiming to both maintain and raise the standard that Fulks established inside the Clive M. Beck Center.

Varel’s appointment to the helm of the powerhouse program came yesterday, just three days after Fulks was announced as Marshall’s head coach. And in many ways, it was an unsurprising hire, probably because it was the perfect—and most logical—one all along.

The associate head coach this past season, Varel coached under Fulks since 2020. She was the 2024 WBCA Assistant Coach of the Year, and last year, was named a WBCA Thirty under 30 honoree.

It seemed that with Varel stepping into the associate head coach role this past season, and gaining continued experience within the program, this was a move that would eventually happen. Whether it was anticipated to be this soon is unclear. But one thing is certain. To have someone who learned directly from Fulks’ leadership and who played an instrumental role in the formation of the national title team is invaluable to the sustaining of the success at Transy. From the standards within the program, to the recruiting aspect, to the ability to gameplan and win so consistently on the national stage, Varel has been part of it all over the last four years. Not to mention she knows the HCAC well, having spent all six of her years as a college coach in the league.

“I am delighted to have Coach Hannah Varel as our new head coach. In her 4 seasons with us, she has proven to be a key contributor to the success of our team.” said Vice President of Athletics, Dr. Holly Sheilley, in Monday’s press release. “Her commitment to the student-athletes, both on and off the court, made this an easy decision. I know she is more than ready to take over our program and I am excited for her.”

I truly don’t think Transylvania will miss a beat. While it will be a new voice leading the program, Varel’s is a familiar one for the returning players. The coaching styles may differ slightly, but the ability to lead and get the most out of the team (especially defensively) isn’t going to change. Recruiting-wise, Varel knows exactly how to recruit top talent to Lexington, which is in many cases one of the biggest adjustment for new head coaches. The familiarity and fact that she has been such an integral part of the winning tradition the last several years makes me excited for what is ahead for the Pioneers. Consistency is key in building a culture of success and Transylvania will have plenty of that with its coaching staff heading into the future.

“I want to thank President Lewis, Dr. Sheilley and the entire athletics administration for the tremendous opportunity to serve as the Head Women’s Basketball Coach at Transylvania University.” Varel said. “I’m extremely excited and humbled to continue mentoring our student-athletes and building championship culture. Our program will continue to epitomize success on the court, in the classroom, and throughout the Lexington community.”

As far as other coaching news, here are the D-III head coaching positions that are either currently open or programs that haven’t yet announced their next head coach. This does include institutions that currently have an interim head coach listed.

Carnegie Mellon

Trinity (CT)

RIT

Saint Mary’s (MN)

Juniata

William Smith

Mount Holyoke

Pratt

Russell Sage

St. Olaf

Keuka

Lycoming

Wheaton (Mass.)

William Peace

On another note, NYU has secured a D1 transfer in Fairfield’s Kate Peek. She played two years at Fairfield as a 5’9 guard from Poughkeepsie, New York, and had opportunities to go elsewhere in Division I after entering the transfer portal before settling on the defending national champs. It is another big recruiting win for NYU head coach Meg Barber, who will lose at least two starters from this past year’s team in Morgan Morrison and Megan Bauman, both of whom were grad transfers. Peek saw her minutes cut at Fairfield this past season, but in her two years at the D-I level, she appeared in 32 games, making six starts as a freshman. Known as an elite long-range shooter coming out of high school, she shot 41.3 percent from beyond the arc in 2022-23. This will be a great addition to NYU’s backcourt heading into 2024-25, as the Violets seek to defend their national title. She can play the 2 or the 3 and should complement the returning core of that team very well.

As a side note, I’m always happy to highlight programs that have secured quality transfers/recruits, but that information is often very difficult to find! So if there is a recent commitment that should be noted, feel free to send an email to rileyzayas@gmail.com. I’m also on X/Twitter at (@ZayasRiley).

I hope everyone has had a great start to the week! I’m working on my Way-Too-Early Preseason Top 30, so look for that soon. I’ve also had the opportunity to talk with Chatham head coach David Saur and Southern Virginia head coach Lynette Schroeder recently, so stay tuned for those Q&A feature stories. I had great conversations with both, and enjoyed learning more about their programs, especially as we start to look ahead to next season.

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The Scoop on D3 Women’s Hoops: Juli Fulks heads to Marshall as head coach

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LEXINGTON, Kentucky—Lexington continues to be at the center of college basketball coaching news.

In what is surely going to be the most significant move in Division III women’s basketball this offseason, Transylvania head coach Juli Fulks is taking on a new challenge…at the Division I level. Within the last hour, Marshall University, out of the Division I Sun Belt Conference, announced Fulks will be the program’s ninth head coach, taking over for Kim Caldwell, who recently took the head coaching job at Tennessee.

It marks the end of a remarkable era under Fulks’ leadership for Transy women’s hoops, as she lifted the Pioneers to new heights in 10 years at the helm. That, of course, included a 33-0 campaign in 2022-23 that culminated with the program’s first-ever national title. This past year, Transy went 31-1, reaching the Final Four before falling to eventual national champ, NYU, in the national semifinals. Fulks was also named the 2024 WBCA Division III Coach of the Year, and led the Pioneers to a 6th consecutive HCAC Title, as the program continued its run of dominance.

Over the last three seasons, Transy posted a 91-2 record, and Fulks became the eighth coach in all division of women’s college basketball to reach the 400-win mark in 20 seasons or fewer.

Her final win at Transy came against UW-Whitewater in the Elite Eight in March, and marked the 400th victory of her collegiate coaching career. She leaves the Division III level, where she spent 18 years as a head coach, with a remarkable record of 400-143.

“I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to serve Marshall University as the Head Women’s Basketball Coach,” Fulks said in a press release. “I would like to thank President Smith, Christian Spears and their entire leadership team for entrusting me and our future staff in leading the program. We will take immense pride in serving our athletes and mentoring their personal growth as students, leaders and future professionals. Go Herd!”

This is a groundbreaking move, as Marshall comes off an NCAA Tournament appearance, and is in position to compete at a high level in the Sun Belt once again in 2024-25. It also marks the second D-III-to-D-I move in women’s basketball in as many days, as Cornell hired Trinity College (CT) head coach Emily Garner yesterday.

“You know, no one has a more significant impact on the student-athlete experience than their head coach, so the people we bring to Marshall have to be amazing and have to honor that opportunity,” Marshall Director of Athletic Christian Spears said in the release. “Today, with the hiring of Juli Fulks, we are doing that once again. There is no doubt she is a winner – not many coaches have 400-plus wins – but what makes her so special is the culture she will create, the way she will engage with our student-athletes and the relationships she will form with them.

“Juli will bring enormous intellect and passion to our program, and I am simply thrilled for our current and future student-athletes who will have a remarkable experience while they represent The Herd under her leadership. She will also be a colleague to our other Head Coaches and she will be a leader in our community and on campus.”

According to the press release, “The Marshall University Board of Governors has scheduled a meeting for Friday afternoon. Pending the Board’s approval, a press conference to introduce Fulks will take place at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, April 16.”

Fulks will certainly leave behind a legacy in Lexington, one that is highlighted by both on-court success as well as her dedication and commitment to empowering her student-athletes in their future goals. It was more than just basketball in her program, and the standard of excellence carried into the classroom just as much as it did the Clive M. Beck Center. She created a culture founded upon high character and striving for excellence, and it created well-rounded individuals who were truly accomplished student-athletes. I have no doubt the same will be true for her new program at Marshall.

»Read the full press release from Marshall

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The Scoop on D3 Women’s Hoops: Trinity’s Emily Garner named head coach at Cornell

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April 11, 2024

By Riley Zayas, D3hoops.com

I wrote earlier today that we could see some D1 and D2 head coaching vacancies filled this offseason filled by current D3 head coaches…and that’s exactly what happened a couple hours later.

Cornell has hired Trinity College (CT) head coach Emily Garner to lead that program after eight stellar seasons with the Bantams. The 2022 NESCAC Coach of the Year, Garner is the eighth coach in Cornell women’s basketball history, and returns to the D-I level where she began her coaching career.

Garner accomplished plenty during her time at Trinity College (CT), posting a record of 124-55, as the Bantams went to back-to-back NCAA Tournaments in each of the last two seasons. Trinity’s big season came a year ago, when, led by the play of Reilly Campbell, Bria Fuller, and Emma Wax, they reached the Elite Eight, won a program-record 25 games, and the NESCAC regular season title. In each of the last three years, Trinity ranked amongst the nation’s Top 40 in scoring defense, which is a trademark of Garner’s style. The Bantams have been strong on the defensive end in recent years while also taking care of the basketball offensively, which led to solid offensive efficiency numbers.

“I am incredibly grateful and excited for the opportunity to serve as the Rebecca Quinn Morgan ’60 head women’s basketball coach at Cornell University,” Garner said in a press release. “A heartfelt thank you to Dr. Nicki Moore and the search committee for entrusting me with leading our student-athletes in their pursuit of excellence on the court, in the classroom, and in the community. Cornell is a special place, and I’m looking forward to building relationships and working to create a strong competitive tradition in the Ivy League.”

Garner has plenty of D-I experience to go along with her success at the D-III level. From 2012-2016, Garner was on the Army West Point staff as the recruiting coordinator and an assistant coach, and prior to that, began her coaching career at LIU-Brooklyn. She played collegiately at Lafayette, in the Patriot League, and I would imagine her background of playing and coaching at high-academic programs certainly helped in Cornell’s decision.

“In Emily, I believe we’ve found a coach who not only cares deeply about the student-athlete experience but has also demonstrated the ability to elevate the competitive success of teams at academically rigorous institutions,” Nicki Moore, Cornell’s athletic director, noted in the press release. “From her experiences at winning programs as an assistant coach to her playing experience at Lafayette, and especially having developed as a head coach for eight years, Emily has all the skills and owns the intangibles necessary to elevate Big Red basketball.”

Garner now steps into the Ivy League and is the second head coach in the league with previous experience as a NESCAC head coach. The other is Princeton’s Carla Berube, who led Tufts from 2002-2019, and is arguably one of the most successful women’s basketball coaches in league history, with a 384-96 record, two national title game appearances, and four Final Four appearances.

» Cornell Press Release: Emily Garner Named Eighth Women’s Basketball Coach at Cornell University

As for the Trinity (CT) job, it is the biggest opening we’ve seen in D3 this offseason, in my opinion. While it is a program that graduates substantial talent from this season’s roster, Trinity’s standing in the NESCAC makes it an appealing opportunity. It’s a place that, with the right leadership on the coaching staff and success on the recruiting front, can continue to be a national contender in the years to come. The NESCAC is one of the top women’s basketball conferences in D-III for a reason and I imagine there will be significant interest in the position for that very reason. Definitely one to keep an eye on as the coaching carousel keeps spinning.