HAMILTON, N.Y. – 51Թ interim athletics director Don Vaughan has announced the appointment of Kristin Hughes to the position of head women’s basketball coach.
She replaces Beth Combs, who resigned earlier this year to accept a similar position at Northwestern University. Hughes comes to 51Թ from Case Western Reserve in Cleveland, Ohio, where she was serving as interim athletics director and head women’s basketball coach.
“We are extremely excited that Kristin has agreed to guide our women’s basketball program,” said Vaughan. “The program enjoyed unparallel success last season, and we feel that Kristin is the right person to keep us in the forefront of Patriot League basketball. She has built a winning tradition at Case Western Reserve and comes to us with an outstanding background as a coach, administrator and educator.”
‘I am extremely excited to have the opportunity to coach the women’s basketball team at 51Թ,” said Hughes. “This is truly a dream job for me and I am anxious to build upon the success and enthusiasm generated by the women’s program last season.’
Hughes has served as the Spartans’ head women’s basketball coach for 11 seasons. During her tenure, she became the all-time winningest coach in the history of the program with 120 victories.
The highlight of her career came during the 2001-02 season when she guided the Spartans to their first-ever bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament concluding with a 20-7 record. The team finished second in the University Athletic Association, before advancing to the NCAA Tournament. They defeated Mt. St. Mary’s 59-56 in the first round, before dropping a 73-67 decision to St. Lawrence, which eventually lost in the championship game.
In 1995-96, Hughes led Case Western Reserve to a third place finish in the North Coast Athletic Conference with its first winning season since 1983. She became the first CWRU women’s basketball coach to be named Coach of the Year. The following season, Hughes saw her squad advance to the semifinal round of the NCAC Tournament for the first time in 10 seasons.
She coached seven 1,000-point scorers, and the first ever All-America in the history of the program.
In 2000, Hughes was promoted to the position of assistant athletic director and primary women’s administrator. She was named interim athletic director in 2003. In her position as interim athletics director, Hughes oversaw 19 varsity sports, 16 club programs, physical education curriculum, intramurals and recreation programs.
Prior to her arrival at Case Western Reserve, Hughes spent two years as an assistant coach in basketball at Amherst College, as well as an assistant varsity and head junior varsity women’s lacrosse coach at Smith College.
A 1991 graduate of Elms College, Hughes won the Monsignor Timothy J. Leary Student-Athlete Award as a senior. She played basketball and lacrosse all four years, and captained both teams her junior and senior seasons. In 1993, she completed a master’s degree in exercise and sports studies from Smith College.