DePaul University Athletics
Jill M. Pizzotti Promoted to Associate Head Coach
8/4/2014 12:00:00 AM | WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
CHICAGO - DePaul women's basketball coach Doug Bruno announced on Monday that Jill M. Pizzotti has been elevated to the title of associate head coach.
"Jill has been a great coach her entire life, highlighted by our last three seasons," Bruno said.
"Through my years coaching at DePaul, I have been blessed to have worked with many excellent assistant coaches. My most recent staff is extra special, and Jill leads this staff.
"Jill is one of the best coaches in the country regardless of title, and together with our entire staff, we all look forward to continuing our goal of moving DePaul women's hoops up the women's basketball food chain."
Pizzotti arrived in Lincoln Park prior to the 2011-12 season and stepped into the role of the program's recruiting coordinator. With Pizzotti on the bench, the Blue Demons have made three consecutive trips to the NCAA tournament and reached the Sweet 16 for the third time in the program's history last season. With a multitude of firsts last season, the Blue Demons were crowned both the BIG EAST Conference regular season and tournament champions. DePaul also tied a program record with 29 wins and set new standards for points (3,006), field goals (1,085), field goal attempts (2,409), 3-point field goals (314), 3-point field goal attempts (880) and assists (705) last season.
Since making her debut on the DePaul bench, Pizzotti has helped to tutor 11 all-BIG EAST Conference or all-freshman performers. She has also worked with the 2013 BIG EAST American Eagle Scholar-Athlete of the Year and league's Sportsmanship Award winner in Anna Martin, and Jasmine Penny was named the 2014 BIG EAST Tournament MVP. Current two-time first-team All-BIG EAST selection Brittany Hrynko was named the league's Co-Most Improved Player in 2012 and was the league's Preseason Player of the Year in 2013-14. Pizzotti has also helped the Blue Demons to three top 10 Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) academic finishes while numerous student-athletes have been honored for their individual academic accolades.
"Our DePaul women's basketball success has always been the result of great administrative support, great assistant coaches and most importantly special players who have also been great people," Bruno said.
"I would like to personally thank our University President, Fr. Dennis Holtschneider and our Athletics Director, Jean Lenti Ponsetto, for accepting my recommendation that Jill be promoted to associate head coach. I would also like to thank my entire staff -- Lisa Ryckbosch, Candis Blankson, Bart Brooks, Michael Fahey, and Sue Dillon for creating the staff chemistry that is vital to building great team chemistry."
Pizzotti, a Lombard, Ill. native, has been a staple in the women's basketball community for more than two decades. She spent the 2010-11 season at West Virginia and from 2005-2010 Pizzotti was the manager of college women's basketball at Nike and served as the liaison between Nike and 90 percent of the top-25 women's basketball programs, the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) and USA Basketball.
Prior to joining Nike, Pizzotti was the second-winningest women's basketball coach in Saint Louis University history and guided the program to its first-ever postseason tournament appearance in the 2003 WNIT. Pizzotti also made coaching stops at Indiana University (1992-95), Northern Kentucky (1991-92) and her alma mater, Southeast Missouri State (1989-91).
DePaul opens its 2014-15 campaign on Nov. 14 against Texas A&M in a rematch of last season's Sweet 16. The Blue Demons return four of their five starters from a season ago and are looking to make their 13th consecutive NCAA Tournament.
