Boston College Women’s Basketball Adds 2 to Coaching Staff

Joanna Bernabei-McNamee has announced 2 members of her BC coaching staff: Yolanda Griffith and AJ Cohen. Both Griffith and Cohen were members of Coach Mac’s staff at Albany.

Griffith is WNBA royalty whose presence at BC will certainly help recruiting. She played professionally for 11 seasons after graduating from Florida Atlantic University and being picked 2nd overall in the 1999 WNBA draft. She is known for being an outstanding defensive player and rebounder, and was voted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in her first year of eligibility. In 2011, fans voted her as one of the top 15 players in WNBA history and in 2016 she was named one of the top 20 players in league history. She’s a 7-time WNBA All-Star, and in 1999 was the league’s MVP, Newcomer of the Year, and Defensive Player of the Year. In 2005, she was the WNBA Finals MVP after leading the Sacramento Monarchs to their first title. Griffith holds the WNBA record for most offensive rebounds in a season with 162 (and is in second and third place behind herself). She has won 2 gold medals with Team USA and served on the USA Basketball Women’s Development National Team Committee. Coaching legend Geno Auriemma, who coached Griffith on Team USA, has described her as one of his favorite players to coach.

In terms of coaching, in addition to Albany Griffith has been an assistant at Dartmouth, Lafayette, and UMass. She is known for developing post players and helping her players to improve their rebounding skills, which will be clutch for the Eagles. Coach Mac described Griffith’s ability to develop players as “tremendous.”

Cohen, a graduate of Louisville, has experience in ACC women’s basketball. He was an assistant for the Cardinals as an undergraduate and helped the team with opponent scouting breakdown. Cohen was at Pikeville with Coach Mac as a graduate assistant before following her to Albany. She praised him to bceagles.com for his energy and his ability to connect with players.

Thomas Garrick, Yvonne Hawkins, and Latara King have all been removed from the team’s roster page, but no announcements have been made to confirm firings/resignations/role changes.