https://www.timesunion.com/sports/article/UAlbany-introduces-another-new-women-s-coach-12917531.php
UAlbany introduces another new women's coach
Colleen Mullen, former Army assistant, looks to continue program dominance
Published 8:39 pm, Tuesday, May 15, 2018
Albany
Success usually brings stability, but that hasn't been the case for the University at Albany women's basketball program.
UAlbany, coming off its seventh consecutive 20-win season, has its third coach in four years. The school on Tuesday introduced former Army associate coach Colleen Mullen as the 12th head coach in program history.
Katie Abrahamson-Henderson, after guiding the Great Danes to five straight America East championships, left after the 2015-16 season for Central Florida. Her replacement, Joanna Bernabei-McNamee, took the Boston College job in April after leading UAlbany to a 45-20 record and one conference title.
"Looking at this opportunity," Mullen said during her introductory news conference at SEFCU Arena, "some people might say, 'Oh, no, I wouldn't do that. That's too risky. There's too much pressure.' To me, that's an opportunity to work with young student-athletes that already have a championship mentality. They're already winners. They know what it takes to win. They are driven. They are inspired."
The hiring of Mullen, who was at Army for seven seasons under Dave Magarity, means that senior-to-be Heather Forster will be playing for her third collegiate coach, something she said she never would have anticipated.
"I knew Coach Abe was a good coach, and that she had been there for a while," said Forster, whose sister, Julie, played under Abrahamson-Henderson. "I had seen her grow throughout my sister's career, so I thought she might leave within my time, but I definitely didn't think I'd end up with three different coaches."
One of the selling points to the athletic administration and the players is Mullen's plan to incorporate Bernabei-McNamee's up-tempo style into her coaching.
"I'm 5-foot-2," said Mullen, who played at Rhode Island and New Hampshire, "so I'm not really into the slowdown game."
"I'm also a fan of the fast-paced style of play, which Albany has been doing for the past couple of years," Forster said. "That was a big thing for me."
Athletic director Mark Benson said he expected Bernabei-McNamee would move up the coaching ranks eventually.
"The timing of it was sooner than we thought," Benson said. "When we hired Joanna, it was clear right away that she was a rising star in the coaching ranks. Had she not taken a couple of years off to be a stay-at-home mom, she might have reached that type of level sooner."
Mullen inherits a 24-8 team that lost three starters, including all-America East forward Jessica Fequiere, to graduation. She likely will have two scholarships available for the 2018-19 season.
"I know we have a tremendous amount of talent coming back," Mullen said, "and we are going to be a force to be reckoned with, as usual, in the America East."
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