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The University at Albany has officially announced the hiring of Kelly Morrone as the new head coach for the Great Danes' women's basketball team. Morrone joins UAlbany after a successful tenure at Merrimack College, where she spent six years leading the Warriors through their transition from Division II to Division I. Her efforts culminated in a 2026 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Coach of the Year award.
Morrone's coaching career began at the University of Buffalo, followed by assistant roles at Davidson, Rhode Island, and William & Mary. She later revitalized the program at John Carroll University, securing multiple conference championships and NCAA Tournament berths. Her leadership at Merrimack included guiding the team to back-to-back MAAC semifinal appearances and coaching players to numerous conference honors, such as MAAC Defensive Player of the Year Paloma Garcia.
A Syracuse native, Morrone played college basketball at the University of South Carolina, where she was a three-year captain and led the Gamecocks to the Elite Eight in 2002. She ranks third in South Carolina's history for career three-point percentage, makes, and attempts.
Morrone succeeds Colleen Mullen, who left UAlbany to coach at the University of Rhode Island. Under Mullen, the Great Danes achieved a 139-102 record, including an America East tournament championship and an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2022.
Morrone expressed her excitement about joining UAlbany, stating, "It is a privilege to lead a program with such strong institutional support and a clear commitment to excellence." She will be formally introduced at a press conference at a later date.