New Jersey City University Athletics

Amy Mulligan will begin her fourth season as head women’s basketball coach at New Jersey City University in 2014-15—the 45^th season of Gothic Knight women’s basketball. In her first three years, Mulligan, the 13^th head coach in NJCU history, has begun to lay the groundwork for future success, including her first full recruiting class during the 2012-13 campaign.
 
In three years, she has produced four Academic All-New Jersey Athletic Conference recipients and her players have received one NJAC Player of the Week and nine NJAC Rookie of the Week honors. Most notably, Bria Smith was the 2013-14 D3hoops.com Atlantic Region and NJAC Rookie of the Year and named to the DIII News National All-Freshman Team. Smith and Ashley Vazquez were each named to the D3hoops.com National Team of the Week—the first time two players have claimed the honor in the same season. Mulligan’s players have claimed one All-NJAC and All-Met award.
 
Among notable successes for the women’s program which has won 19 games, including nine in 2013-14, NJCU posted the first season sweep of Rowan University in 25 years in 2014 and claimed a rare season sweep of perennial national power Kean University in 2012-13—the first two-game sweep since 1999. NJCU has now won three of the last four meetings against both Kean and Rowan.
 
In addition to her coaching duties, Mulligan serves as an Athletic Academic Advisor for the men’s and women’s basketball, women’s bowling, and men’s and women’s soccer teams.
 
Mulligan came with unique qualifications, having been one of the few female coaches in the country to have coached both men’s and women’s college teams. Prior to being hired at NJCU, Mulligan was the head men’s basketball coach at Vaughn College in Flushing, NY for three seasons from 2008-11. She wore a collection of hats at Vaughn where her responsibilities included serving as the school’s athletic director and director of student affairs, overseeing four intercollegiate programs for the Warriors, while also coaching the women’s tennis and co-ed cross country team. She was selected as the 2010-11 Hudson Valley Men’s Athletic Conference (HVMAC) Basketball Coach of the Year.
 
“My goal is to make this program competitive, especially in the NJAC,” noted Mulligan. “Everyone who knows the NJAC knows it is probably the toughest conference in the country [in Division III]. To start, I want to build a tradition of competitiveness and this is a tremendous place to do it. The educational and playing opportunities for student-athletes at NJCU are excellent. I am excited about this opportunity.”
 
Alice De Fazio, Director of Athletics, said: “We are excited to have Coach Mulligan join our staff, and anticipate some very positive changes within the women’s basketball program as a result.  She brings a wealth of experience to the position, and will be an asset to New Jersey City University.”
 
Before arriving at Vaughn, Mulligan coached one season at Division I Dartmouth College, and the 2007-08 Big Green earned a share of the Ivy League Championship and a berth in the Women’s NIT Tournament.
 

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

Head Women’s Basketball Coach/Athletic Academic Advisor, New Jersey City University, May 2011-present Head Men’s Basketball Coach/Director of Athletics/Director of Student Affairs, 2008-11 2010-11 Hudson Valley Men’s Athletic Conference (HVMAC) Basketball Coach of the Year. Assistant Women’s Basketball Coach, Dartmouth College, 2007-08 Assistant Women’s Basketball Coach/Director of Marketing and Promotions, United States Merchant Martine Academy (USMMA), 2005-07 2006-07 USMMA ‘Most Inspirational Coach’ award Assistant Girls Junior Varsity Coach, Christ the King Regional High School, 2002-04 Helped develop 20 college scholarship and two high school All-Americans; Royals won three New York City junior varsity titles Played two and a half seasons of college basketball, University of Vermont, center/forward, 1999-2002; member of 1999-00 American East championship team Played two seasons at Queens College, 2003-05 Played four seasons of high school basketball (three varsity) at Christ the King…part of four city, three New York state and 1998 USA Today Girls Basketball National Championship teams…teammate of WNBA star Sue Bird. 1999 Father John Savage Award recipient

 
She coached two years at United States Merchant Martine Academy (USMMA) from 2005-07, helping to develop a pair of All-Skyline Conference players and the 2006 Skyline Conference Rookie of the Year (Kristen Hetsko). In addition to her coaching and recruiting responsibilities, Mulligan served as the director of marketing and promotions for the academy’s athletics department. She was bestowed with the ‘Most Inspirational Coach’ award in 2006-07 by USMMA. Mulligan served as an assistant coach at Queens College for the 2004-05 season. 
 
While still playing collegiately at Queens College, Mulligan began her coaching career an assistant coach for the junior varsity girls’ basketball squad at New York City powerhouse Christ the King Regional High School from 2002-04, where she assisted in the development of more than 20 college scholarship players and two high school All-Americans—Careem Gay (Duke) and Tina Charles (UConn). The Royals captured the New York City championship all three seasons she was on staff at the school.
 
Mulligan played basketball for two and a half years at the University of Vermont as a center and forward for Coach Keith Cieplicki before suffering an injury her junior season. After receiving a medical hardship waiver, she transferred to Queens College where she played two seasons (2003-05) for Coach Denis Conroy.
 
As a student-athlete at Vermont from 1999-2002, she was part of the Catamounts’ 1999-2000 squad that won the America East Championship, defeating the University of Maine, 77-50, while making an NCAA Tournament appearance. She contributed four points and four rebounds in the championship game as a freshman.
 
Mulligan earned a degree in physical education from Queens College in 2005 and completed a Masters of Education from Trident University International in 2009.
 
Mulligan played four seasons of high school basketball at Christ the King for Coach Vincent Cannizzaro, a current assistant coach at Division I Stony Brook. She played three seasons on the varsity level and was part of four city and three New York state championship squads. The Royals went undefeated her sophomore and junior seasons, winning the USA Today Girls Basketball National Championship her junior season in 1998. She was a two-year high school teammate of current WNBA star and Olympian Sue Bird. Mulligan received the Father John Savage Award in 1999—an honor awarded to the senior student-athlete with the highest grade point average.
 
A native of Maspeth, NY, when not coaching, she enjoys reading, sports and hiking. Born April 8, 1981, she currently resides in Brooklyn, NY.