COACHING STAFF
Head Coach
Cindy Griffin - Head Coach
Saint Joseph’s ’91, ’93 - Eighth Season
Five postseason berths, six all-conference performers, four in-season tournament crowns and four victories over
nationally ranked teams are among the numerous accomplishments of Saint Joseph’s eighth-year head coach
Cindy Griffin. A 1991 and 1993 graduate of SJU, Griffin (nee Anderson) was named the seventh head coach in the
program’s history on April 25, 2001. Griffin has compiled an overall record of 176-125 in 10 seasons as a head
coach and is 128-92 over seven seasons on Hawk Hill.
GRIFFIN’S
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
100% Graduation Rate
Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year
2003
Atlantic 10 East Division Champions
2002, 2003
WNIT Tournament Bids
2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007
Six Atlantic 10
All-Conference Players
Sarah Acker, Erin Brady,
Ayahna Cornish, Irina Krasnoshiok
Susan Moran, Stephanie McCaffrey,
Nine All-Big 5 Players
Sarah Acker, Erin Brady,
Ayahna Cornish, Whitney Ffrench,
Timisha Gomez, Irina Krasnoshiok,
Susan Moran, Stephanie McCaffrey,
Faith Schutte
Four Atlantic 10 All-Rookie Players
Sarah Acker, Hillary Klimowicz,
Jen Oyler, Erica Pollock
Five Academic All-District Players
Maura McBryan, Amra Mehmedic,
Susan Moran, Stephanie McCaffrey,
Faith Schutte
Five players play professionally
Erin Brady, Irina Krasnoshiok,
Amra Mehmedic, Susan Moran,
Stephanie McCaffrey
Saint Joseph’s University
Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame
Inducted in 1998
Bishop McDevitt High School
Hall of Fame
Inducted in 1997
Philadelphia Catholic League
Alumni Achievement Award
2002
22
Griffin helped to reinvigorate the SJU program in her first season, leading the squad to a 24-8 record and the second round of the WNIT. She capitalized on the team’s tradition of scrappy play and rugged defense, while releasing the reins and allowing the team to play a more up-tempo style on the offensive end of the floor. The Hawks finished the year among the national leaders in nine different categories and paced the nation in free throw percentage for the second straight year.
Following a memorable first year at the helm of her alma mater, Griffin upped the ante in her second season by
capturing 2003 Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year honors after guiding the Hawks to a 19-11 record. The team sprinted to the conference’s Eastern Division title and earned a berth in the WNIT for the second straight season, despite
the departure of SJU’s all-time leading scorer and a non-conference schedule that rated fourth nationally.
Led by six seniors, the 2004 team went 22-11 and advanced to the WNIT Elite Eight. Saint Joseph’s finished second in the A-10 East and dropped a heartbreaker in the Atlantic
10 Championship to Temple. Four Hawk seniors reached the
1,000-point plateau, marking just the eighth time in NCAA history that a quartet of players had reached the milestone in the same
season. Erin Brady, Irina Krasnoshiok, Stephanie (Graff)
McCaffrey and Amra Mehmedic went on to sign professional
contracts.
With the loss of four 1,000-point scorers, the 2004-05 Hawks
showed their true colors down the stretch, earning a hard-fought
victory over La Salle in the opening round of the Atlantic 10
Championship and coming within 10 points of 16th-ranked, and
eventual A-10 Champion, Temple.
Fueled by a collection of newcomers and a developed core of
upperclassmen, Griffin led the Hawks back to national prominence in 2005-06. The Crimson and Gray engineered the nation's
best turnaround (13 games) and, received votes in the national
polls for the first time since 2003-04. The Hawks advanced to the
semi-finals of the A-10 Championship and earned a berth in the
WNIT.
Despite losing a good deal of experienced players prior to the
2006-07 season, Griffin had her team peaking at the right time. Playing Griffin’s style of hard-nosed defense and
persistent offense, the Hawks advanced to the Atlantic 10 Championship game, including the program’s first win
over a Top 10 opponent (#8/9 George Washington) along the way. Saint Joseph’s capped the season with its fifth
WNIT appearance in six years and tied the SJU record for games played in a season with 33.
Relying heavily on underclassmen in 2007-08, Griffin guided her Hawks to another winning season, including
crowns at the Brown Basketball Classic and the Hilton Philadelphia Hawk Classic. Among the wins, Saint Joseph’s
posted its biggest win over a non-conference ranked opponent since the 1984-85 season, topping #15 Auburn for
the Hawk Classic title. Along with team success, Griffin also helped mold freshman Sarah Acker into the first Hawk
freshman to earn All-Big 5 First Team honors and junior Mary Kate McDade to the Big 5 Sportsmanship Award.
Following her playing career, Griffin spent the 1992-93 season as a graduate assistant at her alma mater. She then
accepted an assistant’s spot at Vanderbilt University from 1993-95 under former Saint Joseph’s head coach Jim
Foster. Foster recruited Griffin to SJU and coached her during her playing career on Hawk Hill.
In her two years as an assistant at Vanderbilt, the Commodores finished 53-15 overall, won the 1995 SEC championship and reached the NCAA Sweet 16 both seasons. In addition to coaching responsibilities, she was the codirector of the Vanderbilt Basketball Camp and the director of the Black & Gold Club.
2008-09 Saint Joseph’s University Women’s Basketball
Head Coach
Griffin left Vanderbilt after the 1995 season to return to the East Coast as an assistant coach at Loyola College (Md.). She spent three seasons as an assistant under
Patty Coyle at Loyola before being elevated to the role of associate head coach in
1998. Griffin was promoted to the position of head women’s basketball coach at
Loyola midway through the 1998-99 season. She was the seventh-youngest head
coach in Division I at the time. Griffin – who was named head coach five games into
season as Coyle left for an assistant coach position with the WNBA’s New York
Liberty – kept the Greyhounds’ momentum going as Loyola won a team-record 21
games that year. Overall she compiled a record of 48-33 during her tenure at the
Baltimore school, guiding the squad to the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference semifinals all three seasons.
One of the top playmakers in Saint Joseph’s history, Griffin starred for the Hawks
from 1987-88 through 1991-92 (missing the 1988-89 season due to injury). A threeyear team captain, Griffin finished her career with 662 points, 278 rebounds, 510
assists and 197 steals. She currently ranks fourth on SJU’s all-time assist list.
As a junior in 1990-91, she played in 1,178 out of a possible 1,200 minutes to set the
school record for minutes played in a single season. The Hawks made three NCAA
Tournament appearances and posted three straight 20-win seasons during her playing
career. A two-time Second Team All-Big 5 choice, as well as a Third Team All-Atlantic 10
pick as a senior, she was inducted into the Saint Joseph’s Women’s Basketball Hall of
Fame in 1998.
A native of Maple Glen, Pa., Griffin played her high school basketball for Bishop McDevitt,
winning two Philadelphia Catholic League titles. A 1987 graduate of McDevitt, she was
inducted into its Athletic Hall of Fame in 1997, and in 2002, received the Philadelphia
Catholic League’s alumni achievement award. She earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Saint Joseph’s in 1991 and completed work on an M.B.A. from SJU in 1993.
She resides in Conshohocken, Pa., with her husband Curtis and children, Kaylie (5) and
Hannah (3) and Curtis Jr. (5 months).
Griffin’s Year-By-Year Résumé
Year
School
Position
Record
Postseason
1998-99
1999-00
2000-01
2001-02
2002-03
2003-04
2004-05
2005-06
2006-07
2007-08
1998-08
Loyola College
Loyola College
Loyola College
Saint Joseph’s University
Saint Joseph’s University
Saint Joseph’s University
Saint Joseph’s University
Saint Joseph’s University
Saint Joseph’s University
Saint Joseph’s University
10 Seasons
Head Coach
Head Coach
Head Coach
Head Coach
Head Coach
Head Coach
Head Coach
Head Coach
Head Coach
Head Coach
17-6
12-17
19-10
24-8
19-11
22-11
7-23
20-11
19-14
17-14
176-125
MAAC Semifinals
MAAC Semifinals
MAAC Semifinals
WNIT/A-10 Finals
WNIT
WNIT/A-10 Finals
WNIT/A-10 Semifinals
WNIT/A-10 Finals
5 Appearances
Career Head Coaching Record: 176-125 (.585) – 10 Seasons
Head Coaching Record at Saint Joseph’s: 128-92 (.582) – 7 Seasons
2008-09 Saint Joseph’s University Women’s Basketball
23
Assistant Coaches
Chris Day - Assistant Coach
West Chester ’97 - Fourth Season
Helping the Hawks to a 55-39 record during his tenure at Saint Joseph’s, Chris Day returns for his fourth season
with Saint Joseph’s. Serving as second assistant his first two seasons, Day was promoted to become Cindy
Griffin’s top assistant in the spring of 2007.
Responsible for player development,
recruiting and scouting, Day is in his
third season working directly with the
guards, after working with the post
players for the 2005-06 season. This
past season, he helped mold the Saint
Joseph’s backcourt to finish third in the
Atlantic 10 in assists.
COACH DAY AT A GLANCE
Born: July 27, 1974
Hometown: Philadelphia, Pa.
Education: West Chester ‘97
Coaching Experience:
Widener
1999-03
Duquesne
2003-04
La Salle
2004-05
Saint Joseph’s 2005-present
In his first season, Day made an immediate impact on Hawk Hill as he helped
develop the skills of the Atlantic 10 and
Big 5 Rookie of the Year player. The
Philadelphia native joined Griffin’s staff
on June 15, 2005, after spending the
2004-05 season at Big 5 rival La Salle.
While with the Explorers, Day was responsible for scouting, junior college recruiting, guard development and
organizing community service projects. In his lone season at La Salle, the Explorers earned the fourth seed in the
A-10 Championship, their highest finish since the 1996-97 season.
In 2003-04, Day worked as an assistant at Duquesne. Focusing on guard development, he helped sharpen the talents of Candace Futrell to 2004 Atlantic
10 Co-Player of the Year accolades and a third-round pick of the Connecticut Sun in the 2004 WNBA Draft. As a team, Duquesne won 10 A-10 games
for the first time since 1998 and went 16-13 overall.
Prior to coaching at Duquesne, Day helped build a successful program at Division III Widener University. After working as an assistant during the 19992000 season, Day was appointed head coach in March 2000. Taking over a struggling program that had one winning campaign in its 17 previous years,
the Pioneers improved from 7-17 in his first season of 2000-01 to 14-11 in his final year of 2002-03. He helped Widener to its first postseason appearance in 20 years, with a spot in the 2003 Commonwealth Conference playoff. Day
also coached three student-athletes to All-Conference accolades during his tenure.
Also at Widener, Day served as assistant football coach from 1998-2002. Over his
five seasons, the Pioneers claimed the Middle Atlantic Conference Championship
three times and earned a spot in the NCAA Final Four in 2000 and Elite Eight in 2001.
From 1995 to 1999, Day served as assistant varsity and head junior varsity girls’
basketball coach at his alma mater, Archbishop Carroll High School. Day began his
coaching career guiding the Main Line AAU girls’ basketball team from 1993 to
1997. He also spent the 1998-99 season as head coach of Fencor AAU.
A 1997 graduate of West Chester University, Day was a four-year letterwinner in both
football and track. On the gridiron, Day helped West Chester to two Pennsylvania
State Athletic Conference titles (1992 and 1994). A four-year All-Conference sprinter, Day earned the 1995 PSAC Most Valuable Player award after setting the conference record in the 400-meter dash, a record that still stands today. An active member of the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association, Day currently resides in
Downingtown, Pa., with his wife, Megan, and their three children, Christian (9),
Olivia (5) and Morgan Clare (2).
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2008-09 Saint Joseph’s University Women’s Basketball
Assistant Coaches
Susan Moran - Assistant Coach
Saint Joseph’s ’02, ’07 - Sixth Season
Susan Moran, the all-time leading scorer in Saint Joseph’s basketball history, enters her sixth season as an assistant coach on Hawk Hill.
COACH MORAN AT A GLANCE
Born: January 17, 1980
Hometown: Tullamore, Ireland
Education: Saint Joseph’s ‘02
Coaching Experience:
Saint Joseph’s 2003-present
A 2002 graduate of Saint Joseph’s, Moran is
responsible for post development, opponent
scouting, international recruiting, and scheduling. Over the past three seasons, Moran developed forward Faith Schutte to All-Big 5 honors in
2005-06, honed the skills of current junior
Brittany Ford to Atlantic 10 All-Tournament Team
honors in 2007 and helped current sophomore
Sarah Acker to both A-10 All-Conference and AllBig 5 honors.
As a Hawk, the Tullamore, Ireland native started
all 122 games in her career and is the only player in SJU history to lead the team in both scoring
and rebounding in four consecutive seasons. An Honorable Mention All-American by the Associated Press and the
WBCA in 2002, Moran scored 2,340 points and holds seven other school records, including career marks for free
throws made and field goals made. She ranked fourth in the nation in scoring (23.3 points per game) as a senior.
Moran was named the Atlantic 10 and Philadelphia Big 5 Player of the Year in 2002 and the Rookie of the Year by both in 1999. She was also a finalist
for the Senior Class Award during her final year. The epitome of the term “student-athlete,” Moran was a two-time Academic All-American and was twice
the Atlantic 10’s Student-Athlete of the Year. Saint Joseph’s made two trips to the NCAA Tournament and one to the WNIT during her time on Hawk Hill.
On February 24, 2008, Moran’s accomplishments on the court were recognized by the Hawks as she became just the second woman in Saint Joseph’s
basketball history to have her jersey (10) retired. Moran was later inducted in the Saint Joseph’s Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in the spring.
Following her college career, Moran spent time playing for the WNBA’s New York Liberty and professionally in Spain, New Zealand and Australia. In 2005,
Moran earned MVP honors of the Women's National Basketball League in New Zealand after leading the Canterbury Wildcats to the league title. In the
summer of 2006, Moran earned MVP honors of the Queensland Australia Basketball League as a member of the Rockhampton Cyclones. This past summer, she returned to the hardwood as a member of the Irish National Team,
helping her home country to a 3-2 record at the European Qualifiers.
An active member of the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association, Moran
earned her master’s of business administration in December of 2007. The
daughter of Ethna and Martin and granddaughter of Betty O’Neil, Moran currently resides in Philadelphia.
2008-09 Saint Joseph’s University Women’s Basketball
25
Assistant Coaches
Stephanie McCaffrey - Assistant Coach
Saint Joseph’s ’04 - Second Season
Returning to the bench for her second season as assistant coach is former Saint Joseph’s standout Stephanie
McCaffrey.
In her first season as an assistant coach, McCaffrey worked diligently with the Hawk post players, helping Sarah
Acker to finish amongst the Atlantic 10 leaders in shooting percentage, rebounds and blocked shots. McCaffrey,
who spent the previous two years as director of basketball operations for SJU before being appointed assistant
coach in the summer of 2007, is also responsible for opponent scouting and will be shifting her focus to work with
the guards this season.
COACH MCCAFFREY AT A GLANCE
Born: September 29, 1982
Hometown: Drexel HIll, Pa.
Education: Saint Joseph’s ‘04
Coaching Experience:
Saint Joseph’s 2005-present
Perhaps the most intimidating defensive player in Hawk program history, McCaffrey (nee Graff) finished her playing career as the single game (seven), season (76) and career (175) leader in blocked shots. A two-time Atlantic
10 All-Championship Team selection, the 6-foot-2 forward finished her career sixth in total rebounds (788) and
12th in career scoring (1,193).
A 2003-04 Atlantic 10 All-Conference Second Team and A-10 All-Defensive Team honoree, the Drexel Hill, Pa.,
native helped Saint Joseph's post an 80-43 record and earn three consecutive appearances in the Postseason
WNIT over her four seasons.
A two-time Academic All-District II and A-10 All-Academic Team selection, McCaffrey graduated in 2004 with a
degree in elementary education.
In 2004, McCaffrey became the 19th women's basketball player from Saint Joseph's to play professionally as she
joined the University of Limerick/Augninish of the Irish Women's SuperLeague.
McCaffrey currently resides in Drexel Hill, Pa., with her husband Jim and daughter, Keara (18 months).
26
2008-09 Saint Joseph’s University Women’s Basketball
Support Staff
Ellen Fitzpatrick
Renie Shields
Director of
Basketball Operations
Director of
Compliance Services
Saint Joseph’s ’90 - Second Season
Saint Joseph’s ’82 - 11th Season
A two-time Atlantic 10 All-Conference honoree,
Ellen Fitzpatrick returns for her second season on
Hawk hill as director of basketball operations.
Joining the SJU staff in the summer of 2007, Fitzpatrick (nee Shields) is in
charge of opponent film exchange and assisting in team travel plans. She
also assists with the Hawk Hill Roundball Club, Saint Joseph's women's
basketball booster organization, as well as the highly successful SJU BallHandling Kids Club.
One of the most accurate shooters in Hawk history, she still holds the Saint
Joseph's career record for three-point accuracy (40.4 percent), and was
inducted into both the Philadelphia Big 5 and Saint Joseph's Basketball
Halls of Fame in 1997 and the Saint Joseph's Athletics Hall of Fame in
2006. A two-time Hawk captain (1989 and 1990), Fitzpatrick helped SJU to
four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, advancing to the second
round three times. Saint Joseph's also claimed three Big 5 titles (1987-88,
90) during her tenure.
Since graduating from Saint Joseph's, Fitzpatrick has served as director
and now president of Fitzpatrick Basketball Camps and Clinics. An assistant coach at George Washington University from 1997-99, she also has
spent time coaching in the high school ranks at Cardinal O'Hara and
Georgetown Visitation (Washington, D.C.).
Fitzpatrick currently resides in Drexel Hill, Pa., with her husband Bill and
children Kathleen (14), Joseph (11) and Jack (7).
A former standout on the hardwood for Saint
Joseph’s from 1979-82 and a member of the Hawk
coaching staff from 1987-88 through 1992-93,
Renie Shields is currently the director of compliance services at Saint Joseph’s University.
A Saint Joseph's and Philadelphia Big 5 Hall of Famer, Shields (nee Dunne)
is responsible for all non-conference scheduling and serves as coordinator
for the Hawk Classic. The 2007-08 season also marks the 16th year she
has served as an analyst on Saint Joseph’s women's basketball radio
broadcasts.
Shields currently resides in Drexel Hill, Pa., with her husband Jim, a 1981
Saint Joseph’s graduate, and their four children – James Jr., Kerri, Erin,
and Shannon.
All-Time Assistant Coaches
Cindy (Anderson) Griffin ...............................................................1993
Geno Auriemma ............................................................................1979
Maureen Costello ..........................................................................2001
Pat Coyle............................................................................1990 - 1991
Chris Day ........................................................................2006-Present
Helen Dean.........................................................................1985 - 1986
Kelly (Devine) Meury .........................................................1991 - 1992
Maureen Donavan..............................................................1989 - 1991
Mike Ferry......................................................................... 1998 - 1999
Frank Gaitley ......................................................................1992 - 2000
Stephanie Gaitley ...............................................................1983 - 1985
Reggi Grennan ...................................................................1992 - 2001
Kahadeejah Herbert............................................................1986 - 1987
Kerri Homan.......................................................................2002 - 2003
Stephanie Hughes .........................................................................1991
Nikki Jones....................................................................................2000
Kathy Langley ....................................................................1979 - 1980
Joe Logan ..........................................................................2002 - 2005
Amy Mallon ...................................................................................1997
Sharon Manning............................................................................2001
Stephanie (Graff) McCaffrey ........................................2007 - Present
Andy McGovern .................................................................1980 - 1981
Muffet (O’Brien) McGraw...................................................1981 - 1982
John McKendry .............................................................................1980
Lynn Milligan .....................................................................2002 - 2007
Terri Mohr ..........................................................................1987 - 1988
Susan Moran.................................................................2004 - Present
Ray Nolan ..........................................................................1989 - 1990
Stephen Porth ...............................................................................1983
Rosemary Salvo ............................................................................1977
Julie Scherbenske..............................................................1994 - 1996
Renie (Dunne) Shields .......................................................1988 - 1993
2008-09 Saint Joseph’s University Women’s Basketball
27
Support Staff
Beth Howard
Jack Jumper
Athletic Trainer
Athletic Communications
Beth Howard is in her fifth year as assistant athletic trainer at Saint Joseph’s and works directly with
the women’s basketball team. A certified athletic
trainer, Howard interned with the Washington
Mystics of the WNBA before coming to Hawk Hill.
A 2002 graduate of St. Bonaventure University’s
Russell J. Jandoli School of Journalism and Mass
Communication, Jack Jumper is in his fifth year at
Saint Joseph’s and third year as associate director
of athletic communications.
A native of Nazareth, Pa., Howard earned her bachelor’s degree from George Washington University in 2003. In 2006,
Howard was honored with the “Unsung Hero” Award by the Saint Joseph’s
women’s basketball team at its year-end awards banquet.
He is responsible for producing several Saint
Joseph’s olympic sports publications and serves as chief publicist for
women’s basketball, women’s tennis, women’s soccer and softball teams.
Jumper, who earned Best in the District honors in 2006 and 2007 for the
SJU golf media guide, spent the previous two years as assistant director
of athletic communications at St. Bonaventure.
Howard currently resides in Philadelphia with her husband, Ryan
Hoagey.
Ryan Gensler
Head Manager
Ryan Gensler enters his third year working for the
Saint Joseph’s basketball team, and will serve as
head manager this season. A native of Fayetteville,
N.Y., Gensler will graduate with a degree in political
science in May 2009.
The son of Maureen and John H. Jumper Jr., he is an active member of
College Sports Information Directors of America membership services
committee. A native of Kenmore, N.Y., he is currently working towards his
master’s degree in writing studies at Saint Joseph’s. Jumper, who will
marry his fiance Kate Donahue in May 2009, currently resides in Bala
Cynwyd, Pa.
Kathy MacDonald
Women’s Basketball
Administrative Assistant
A member of the Saint Joseph’s athletic department since 1978, Kathy MacDonald is in her second year as the administrative assistant for the
women’s basketball program.
Aside from her day-to-day duties with the women's basketball program,
MacDonald also assists with the other varsity sports.
Kevin Hensler
P.J. McCall
Senior
4th Year
Senior
1st Year
Joe Mreczko
Jenna Haggerty
Eileen Brown
Clare Ariano
Sophomore
2nd Year
Sophomore
2nd Year
Athletic Dept.
Admin. Asst.
Men’s Basketball
Admin. Asst.
MacDonald and her husband, Charlie, reside in Drexel Hill, Pa. They have
six children.
Claire Ryan
Sophomore
2nd Year
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2008-09 Saint Joseph’s University Women’s Basketball