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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

The Scoop on D3 Women’s Hoops: Championship Game preview: A look at both offenses

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This is coming out a day later than I wanted it to, but regardless, it is crazy to think that we have just three days left of the 2022-23 D-III basketball season! What an amazing year…those games in November feel like an eternity ago and part of that is because the women’s season has been extended by a couple weeks as compared to most years, with the D-III national championship being played in a combined setting alongside the D-I Final Four and D-II national championship game.

That matchup features the nation’s top two “vote-getters” in terms of total points received in the year’s 14 D3hoops.com Top 25 polls: #1 Christopher Newport and #2 Transylvania. Each carries a flawless record into Saturday’s championship in Dallas, with Transy at 32-0 overall, and CNU, 31-0. Needless to say, this is the #1 vs. #2 battle we always hope for come tournament time, but rarely get, thanks to improbable upsets and geographical seeding.

Splitting this into two parts, I’m planning to take a look at both teams’ offenses today, and follow that up with some notes on the defenses tomorrow. Then, Saturday morning I will have a post live from Dallas before tip-off. So stay tuned for all of that!

Transylvania … on offense

Personnel

In terms of scoring production, the Pioneers do not lack depth, with four players averaging double figures in points. Second Team D3hoops.com All-American Madison Kellione leads the way with 15.3 points per game, followed closely by Kennedi Stacy at 14.1. Dasia Thornton adds 12.2 per contest, and Laken Ball rounds out the group at 10.4. Not surprisingly, those four have started every game of the season for Transy, forming the backbone of the Pioneers’ success.

On the boards

Transy averages just over 15 offensive rebounds per contest, with 484 this season. Thornton leads the way with 111 total. The Pioneers are not great on the offensive glass, but have athletic guards as well as two experienced post players in Thornton and Ball who can pull down an offensive board when needed.

Shooting-wise

As a team, Transy has shot above 48% from the field in its last two games, and on the season, is 42.5% from the field. The Pioneers have range when necessary, averaging 8.5 3-pointers per game, but tend to work the ball inside whenever possible, taking plenty of mid-range jumpers and shots at the rim. Against CNU’s man-to-man pressure defense, that could obviously change slightly, but it worked for the most part against Smith, who employed a man-to-man defense throughout the national semifinal contest. Transy favored the one-on-one matchup between Thornton and a Smith defender in the post in the semifinal win, which led to 18 points and nine free throws for Thornton. Look for that to be a factor against CNU, especially with the Captains’ limited depth in the post.

Final thoughts

Transylvania isn’t a team that is going to dominate in transition. Rather than pushing the ball upcourt frequently and risking a turnover, the Pioneers tend to be more slow-paced when holding possession, focusing on making good passes and getting the ball to the paint when possible. They aren’t afraid to pass the ball 10 times in order to get the best shot, which, as we saw against Smith, can make for a long day for the opposing defense, especially when that defense is running a man-to-man. Excited to see this disciplined and incredibly efficient offense in person.

Christopher Newport…on offense

Personnel

CNU may only have two double digit scorers on its roster (one of whom will be unavailable for the title game), but the Captains have exceptional depth and phenomenal shooters up and down the bench. Sondra Fan, a Fourth Team D3hoops.com All-American, leads the way with 14.4 points per game. Anaya Simmons, who averaged 13.7 PPG through 26 games injured her knee on the first weekend of the tournament and has been out for the remainder. Gabbi San Diego returned from an injury in the second half of this regular season, and displayed her shooting ability against Tufts in the Elite Eight, putting 32 points on the board. Both Fan and San Diego will be focal points for the CNU offense in Dallas. And while I’m mentioning those two, Gordon Mann of D3hoops.com wrote a fantastic piece on their long-lasting connection prior to the national semifinal game against Rhode Island College. Check that out here: https://www.d3hoops.com/playoffs/women/2023/cnu-playmates-before-teammates

In total, seven of the players expected to be available on Saturday average six points or more per game.

On the boards

The Captains have tallied 469 offensive rebounds per game this season, but 101 of those came from Simmons. Hannah Orloff is the next best rebounder offensively for CNU, with 59 this season. As a team, CNU has a number of guards who have pulled down a handful of offensive boards throughout the season, and that could very likely be the case on Saturday.

Shooting wise

CNU converts on 45.9% of this shooting attempts, the sixth-best mark nationally, and that consistency has contributed greatly to the Captains’ perfect record this season. On average, the Captains tally 30.8 made field goals per game, and while they have a group of guards with plenty of 3-point range, CNU’s aggressive attack on both ends of the floor results in plenty of drives to the basket. The Captains just have this ability to put their heads down and get to the rim, often drawing fouls along the way. They’ve been sent to the free throw line 20+ times in each of the last two games, and expect that to be a source of point production for CNU on Saturday.

Final Thoughts

CNU is a fun team to watch, because the guards and post players work so well together and they have a speed element to their offense that is very tough to defend. RIC held them to a shooting percentage of just 28.1% in the national semifinal, so CNU will obviously be looking for a better offensive showing in this one. They’ll need it against Transy’s defense, and I think we’ll see it. As mentioned above, the Captains’ fearless ability to get to the rim makes for exciting offensive possessions and can generate momentum in a hurry.

That’s a look at both offenses! Hope it was informative and on-point as we get ready for this showdown on Saturday morning. They posted photos of the court today and man, it is a great venue for a basketball game. Looking forward to it!

For any questions/feedback/corrections email me at rileyzayas@gmail.com or DM me on Twitter (@ZayasRiley).

Hoopsville Classic: Dave’s take on the teams

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Not that often in Division III do we get a chance to see a number of different teams in the same gymnasium in the course of one weekend – outside of the NCAA Tournament. This past weekend the Hoopsville National Invitational Classic gave many of us the chance to not only see eight very different programs each play two games, we got to see three ranked teams and a fourth who should be play against one another.

So with that in mind, I thought I would give you my take on the weekend. Not how the weekend went, but the teams that took part and I have ranked them from bottom to top.

Franciscan – I hate to say anyone was the worst team over the weekend, so I won’t. However, Franciscan was one of two teams that came out of the Hoopsville Classic 0-2. But to be fair, the Barons shouldn’t hang their heads… this was a good test for what is practically a brand new program. Don’t forget that Franciscan only returned three players from last year’s 0-25 squad – that means there isn’t much memory of it. They are made up of mainly freshmen and sophomores who have plenty of talent and will only improve with more playing time and experience especially when they test themselves to tough competition like they saw at Stevenson University and beforehand with Bethany (W.Va.). And while the Barons lost their games to Stevenson and Gallaudet by an average of 14-plus points, they were playing with at least four players not eligible until Dec. 15 including two players that could jump-start their offense. Coach John Lamanna has a good squad and as soon as he and the team get more of a base to their program, they will succeed.

Gallaudet – It is tough for any program to expect to succeed after a major coaching change in the offseason and losing plenty of talent that had provided the best seasons in program history, but Gallaudet has been here before. They seem to always be in this place. After all, the deaf institution already has the disadvantage of a narrower recruiting field then most schools. However, the Bison often seem to find talent who turn coaches’ heads when they seem them play (anyone remember Ronda Jo Miller?). This year Gallaudet has a couple of players we could be talking about down the road: Danny Kelly (listed as a center but can play guard), Layton Seeber, Jocus Houston, and Orion Palmer just to name a few. They along with two of their teammates scored in double-figures in their game against Franciscan – but that is the offense. On defense, I have always been impressed with the discipline especially in a zone look. This weekend the Bison once again showed they will hold high-scoring squads below their average with smart defense which causes turnovers and forces bad shots. The challenge for the Bison will be the fact that Seeber, Kelly, and Houston are seniors and the squad does have a new coach Brendan Stern who certainly is familiar with the program, but still has to get used to coaching this squad. Gallaudet may have never been to the NCAA tournament, but they have a squad that could contend for a conference title and maybe get that automatic bid this season.

Mass-Boston – Talk about a sleeper in the Little East Conference. I am not saying they are going to win the conference with the likes of Western Connecticut, Eastern Connecticut, Rhode Island College and Keene State leading the way, but they are going to spoil many a team’s day and be in the mix. Last season’s LEC Rookie of the Year Vinny DeLucia is averaging 11 points a game, but Coach Titus thinks the team’s best player won’t play until the second half of the season. And this Beacons team already has a wealth of talent besides DeLucia. Rahshjeem Benson, Carl Joseph, Jahleel Moise, and Brian Clarke have all started the season strong along with Mike Mitchell and Josh Mojica, but the team needs to mature a bit more. They had a chance to win the game against Stevenson if one player whose basket at the end cut the deficit to one with 1.4 on the clock decided to find his man defensively first and not pound his chest after a half-dunk. His man got the in-bounded ball and had to be fouled before the clock ran out.

This squad has just two seniors. Don’t be surprised if they are playing spoiler this year and maybe battling for a conference title next season.

Stevenson – The host school certainly represented themselves well winning their two games against Gallaudet and Mass-Boston and starting 2-0 for the first time since 2005.

This Mustangs squad certainly has talent. Their center is a 6-6 senior named Andrew Bishop who helped spark comebacks several times over the weekend. You aren’t overly impressed with his presence inside, but certainly appreciate his drive and abilities when he comes up with big shots and solid defense. You then have Brett Burrier who is a 6-6 senior forward who is the perfect three-man who can not only hit shots inside, but can step back and hit big three point shots when needed. And that still leaves guys like Kelly Davis and Stefon McCray who are both juniors and are contributing on both ends of the court.

Now, while the Mustangs started the season 2-0, they are playing in the MAC Commonwealth for the first time and that will mean tough competition from the likes of Messiah, Widener, Lebanon Valley, Elizabethtown, Albright, Alvernia and others. While I don’t see Stevenson fighting for a conference title this year, Stewart at least has his squad moving in the right direction as he starts his second season.

Randolph-Macon – this is where things will be odd to say the least… I have the Yellow Jackets as the fourth best squad of the weekend and despite starting the season 0-3… they are arguably a Top 25 team. I can already imagine some of you saying “WHAT?!” The answer is yes because they have tons of talent which will once again put them right into the mix in the always tough ODAC which I could see on paper getting four teams into the NCAA tournament this season.

It isn’t like RMC got all that easy a start to the season with a loss on the road to Christopher Newport (getting votes in the Top 25) on Thursday and then having to play No. 16 Transylvania on Saturday and No. 19 St. Mary’s on Sunday. In none of those games was RMC beaten by a more talented team… they were beaten mainly by themselves. In the first three games they have averaged 18 turnovers – nearly four more than their opponents; the Yellow Jackets are shooting .558 from the free throw line; are a paltry 19-70 from the three-point line; are being out rebounded by nearly two boards a game; and are being outscored by 17 in the second half of their games. But ask many of the coaches at the Hoopsville National Invitational Classic and they will say Randolph-Macon probably had the most talent of any of the teams there.

So they may fall out of the Top 25 after this start, but they will be back in the poll later this season.

St. Mary’s (Md.) – The Seahawks are always ready for the start of the season and Coach Harney always has them playing tough opponents, but St. Mary’s didn’t look completely ready to start the season. Their first game featured a big lead to start, only to then have Catholic go on a 43-13 run and nearly run the Seahawks out of the building.

St. Mary’s has a lot of talent, but they are still finding themselves. This is probably a different squad if Chris McAuley didn’t have aspirations to play in Division I and left over the summer to pursue them. Instead the Seahawks have to, well, MacGyver what they can in the post with MacGyver Biniak. Biniak is a good player, but the usual double-teams down low on Seahawks post players the last few seasons won’t happen and that means less guys open on the perimeter including senior forward Jeff Haus who has made a killing on the weak side when his player sags in to help in the post.

Team leader Devin Spencer doesn’t seem to be the same player as in years past and James Davenport may be back after he was lost for an entire season due to injury, but he looks like he has lost a season. The bright spot for the Seahawks will be Nick LaGuerre who as a sophomore is already leading the team in scoring. He will take some pressure off of Spencer in both ball handling and shooting and steps up the defense.

St. Mary’s will once again battle for a CAC title and another NCAA tournament berth, but how good they will be this year will depend on whether they don’t rest on their laurels and find a way to adjust what has worked in the past and find what will instead work this season.

Transylvania – The Pioneers did not start the season they way they had hoped. In fact, before Saturday’s game against Randolph-Macon, Transylvania had lost three in a row dating to last season. Catholic simply made the Pioneers look pedestrian on Friday night, but they fought back to beat a scrambling RMC squad on Saturday. However, they are clearly missing their floor general, Tate Cox.

Last season, Cox averaged nine points a game and had a turnover to assist margin of 1.6 to 1 on a squad that lead the nation in the least number of turnovers. Flash forward to this season and the team’s 10.1 turnovers per game from 2011 has blossomed to 14.7 and only in the game against RMC did they have less turnovers than their opponent (RMC had 22). Cox brings a level of confidence and calm on the offensive end this Transylvania team needs, despite the best efforts of Nick Fudge. However, when Cox returns from injury is mainly up to him.

It isn’t to say that Transylvania’s problems are only because they miss Cox on the floor. Ethan Spurlin is banged up and Brandon Rash has struggled this season – despite a very good game against St. Mary’s. They have some young talent like Parker Stansberry who will contribute, but they need others to step up. Coach Brian Lane has already said this is the team’s team… especially the seniors. He is a good coach that can make good adjustments, but the onus is on the seniors to prove they deserve to be recognized in the Top 25.

Personally, they are a Top 25 team with plenty of talent that probably has to get used to missing the two players who graduated from last year’s squad. While Chris Owen and Ashley Hatfield may not have garnered the attention for their production on the court, their leadership off the court clearly is missed and now Spurlin, Rash, Cox and others have to step up into that role and when they do, the Pioneers could be tough to stop.

Catholic – Almost every coach, assistant coach, or fan who watched Catholic play this past weekend pretty much said one thing, “these guys are GOOD!” Tough to argue with that.

I will admit I had the Cardinals in my Top 40 as I worked on my preseason Top 25 ballot… but I had too many question marks to place them in what was my last version of my ballot (there were many versions some of which Catholic did appear in the 20-25 range). The biggest was the fact Catholic, which even coach Steve Howes has admitted, kept falling short of expectations. Whether it was a stretch in the middle of conference play or simply not winning games they should have, the Cardinals have been somewhat disappointing for several seasons in a row – they haven’t made the NCAA tournament since 2007! Would they finally get over the hump? The other question was whether losing sophomore guard Billy Donovan who was coming along nicely as a player with the likes of Shawn Holmes, Nate Koenig, and Chris Kearney would once again leave Catholic with a disappointing season. The answer to both: no.

Catholic is going to be a tough opponent in the Mid-Atlantic and Landmark Conference this season. Shawn Holmes could be an All-American candidate along with Kearney who both left the weekend averaging nearly 20 points a game – against Top 25 teams! Defensively the Cardinals held Transylvania and St. Mary’s to an average of 46.5 points and forced 35 total turnovers (Catholic had just 14 turnovers).

I actually reserved my judgment of the Cardinals after the Transylvania game to see how they did against St. Mary’s. It wasn’t as if the Seahawks weren’t paying attention; their assistant coaches were in the stands scouting on Friday night and early in their game Saturday it looked like St. Mary’s was going to leave Catholic 1-1 for the weekend. But just like in the game against Transylvania, the Cardinals all of sudden hit some kind of switch on offense and defense and before anyone knew it a ten point deficit was gone and then shortly afterward they were up 10 points.

Catholic deserves to be in the Top 25… and deserved to have been there in the preseason. They have too much talent that seems to have come together perfectly. Of course there are still questions remaining like if they can get through the Landmark without going through another spell of bad losses and fighting just to make the four-team playoff. However, if the Cardinals play the rest of the season the way they did at Stevenson … they are going to be a team many will look at to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament come March.