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.