Women’s basketball revamps coaching staff

The Lehigh women’s basketball team has begun its season with new coaches on its staff. 

Former player and captain Colleen McQuillen, ’25, who helped lead the team to win the Patriot League Championship last season, has returned to the program as the director of operations. In addition to McQuillen, assistant coach Sarah Assante is bringing nearly 10 years of experience from Dartmouth College and Bryant University. 

After McQuillen graduated last spring, she said she knew she would not be saying goodbye to Lehigh. 

When she transferred from Fordham University at the end of her sophomore year, she knew she wanted to be a college coach. During her recruitment process, McQuillen spoke with coach Addie Micir about her career goals, which led her to the position of graduate assistant on staff. 

Because she recently left the court, she said she’s like a guinea pig who Micir and the other coaches can ask questions about to drills for her insight. 

 “Having built such a strong relationship with some of these girls has put me in a position on staff to be like, ‘These girls know I have their back,’” McQuillen said.

Although McQuillen said it feels different not being on the court as a player with her former teammates, she’s enjoyed continuing to strengthen the trust and relationships they built as players. She also said she thought the transition to coaching was going to be a lot scarier and challenging than it was in reality.

From the players’ perspectives, McQuillen’s transition has been smooth.

Senior guard Katie Hurt said McQuillen is not only an excellent teammate but also a genuine and supportive friend. 

She said watching McQuillen’s passion for the game evolve from player to coach has been inspiring, especially because she’s encountered the same things they are going through.

“Knowing that she’s had this experience, we can definitely trust that she’s giving us good advice,” Hurt said. 

Junior forward Whitney Lind said McQuillen’s position change was an adjustment at first, but the transition has been easy because of her professionalism, maturity and positive attitude. 

She said McQuillen has preserved her close relationships with the players while moving into her new role, always smiling and joking with the team. 

Already having been a vocal leader and point guard last season, Lind said seeing McQuillen lead from the sidelines feels like a natural progression of her talent. 

Her understanding of what it’s like to be a student athlete, Lind said, has allowed her to connect with the players on a deeper level. She also said McQuillen doesn’t sugarcoat hard truths, but her honesty is respected because the team knows she’s coaching from a place of care. 

While McQuillen has been able to provide insight with her experience as a former player, Assante has added new layers of experience and perspectives to the program.

Assante, who joined the coaching staff in July, said she was drawn to Lehigh because of its strong academics, fast-paced style of play and the genuine character of the people she met. She said she chooses schools based on people, rather than location, and Lehigh felt like a perfect fit. 

Before her coaching career, Assante was a four-year player and two-year captain at Saint Joseph’s College of Maine. While she was a tax and accounting major, she always coached on the side, whether through the local community college, high school or Amateur Athletic Union workouts. 

After college, Assante pursued a full time corporate job but realized coaching was her passion, so she quit her job on the spot without having a job in place to follow her goals. 

Assante said her coaching philosophy centers on people, not just the sport. 

She said much of her work involves helping student-athletes discover their passions and recognize how the lessons they learn through basketball can be applied to life beyond the court.

In her experience, she said many of her coaches were women. She said representation in athletics is important, particularly for women and people of color, so players can see themselves in their coaching staff. 

Assante said she views coaches as educators who shape people’s growth and success. 

“I think I want to create a positive experience no matter where I go, no matter what I do, whether it’s on the court, in the office, in the community,” Assante said.