Health & Fitness
Rizzotti to re-Join USA Basketball as National Team Court Coach
WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – The USA Basketball Women's National Team Steering Committee announced on Monday that University of Hartford women's basketball coach Jennifer Rizzotti will serve as one of four court coaches who will work with the 2013-16 USA National Team and University of Connecticut head coach Geno Auriemma and the 28 athletes who will participate in a mini-camp this weekend.
Rizzotti, who is no stranger to coaching stints with USA Basketball, will travel to Colorado Springs, Colo. for the three-day mini-camp joining DePaul University head coach Doug Bruno, Chicago Sky head coach Pokey Chatman and South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley. The head coach of the Minnesota Lynx, Cheryl Reeve, was also selected as a court coach; however, she will be unable to attend after leading the Lynx to its third-straight WNBA Finals.
"Certainly when you've got a lot of players in a short period of time, you do need a coaching staff that knows how to evaluate talent, how to get things done quickly. I think the experience factor is there, whether it's been coaching at a high level, former Olympians, gold-medal winning coaches, we've got that in our court coaches," said Auriemma.
A 14-year (1999-00 to present) head coach at Hartford, Rizzotti tackles her fourth USA Basketball coaching assignment. She most recently piloted the 2011 USA U19 World Championship Team to an 8-1 record, the gold medal and was named the 2011 USA Basketball National Coach of the Year. She also was head coach of the 2010 USA U18 National Team that went 5-0 en route to winning gold at the FIBA Americas U18 Championship and first served as an assistant coach for the 2007 USA U18 National Team that captured gold. A three-time America East Conference Coach of the Year, Rizzotti owns a 276-162 (.630 winning percentage) overall record at Hartford and has advanced the Hawks to postseason play 10 times, including each of the past nine seasons.
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"It's always a thrill for me to get a call from USA Basketball," said Rizzotti. "It's an honor to be asked to assist at the USA National Team's training camp and work with the best coaches and players in the country. It's also a privilege to work side by side with Geno Auriemma, this country's premier women's basketball coach."
