Smith College Women's Basketball

Lynn Hersey, the 2024 and 2025 D3hoops.com National Coach of the Year and 2023 WBCA National Coach of the Year, has been the Smith College basketball coach since 2007. Hersey made history in 2026, becoming the first team in conference history to win six-straight NEWMAC Women's Basketball Championships.  The program’s all-time leader in wins (360), Hersey has transformed the Bears into a national powerhouse during her tenure as Smith advanced to back-to-back National Championship games in 2024 and 2025. Hersey’s teams have qualified for the postseason 15 times with her at the helm, including three-straight Final Four appearances from 2023-2025. At Smith 8x NCAA Tournament Appearances (2013, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026) 2024 and 2025 National Runner Up 3-straight Final Four Appearances 5x NCAA Sweet 16 appearances 6x NEWMAC Championships (2020, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026) School record 31 wins in 2024-25 Three 30-win seasons (2022-2025) 21-7 record in the NCAA Tournament Coached 2023 WBCA National Player of the Year (Morgan Morrison) 4 NEWMAC Athlete of the Year selections 1 NEWMAC Defensive Athlete of the Year honoree (Hannah Martin '27) 21 NEWMAC All-Conference First Team selections Awards & Honors 2024 and 2025 D3hoops.com National Coach of the Year 2023 WBCA National Coach of the Year 4x WBCA Coach of the Year Finalist (2023, 2024, 2025, 2026) 6x NEWMAC Coach of the Year (2012, 2013, 2018, 2022, 2023, 2026) D3hoops.com Region 2 Coach of the Year (2022) 2x NEWBA Coach of the Year (2022, 2023) Coaching Experience Head Basketball Coach - Smith College (2008-present) Co-Head Basketball Coach - Amherst College (2005-07 Assistant Basketball Coach - Amherst College (2001- 2005) Education Bachelor's Degree - Physical Education - Plymouth State University (2000) Master's Degree - Sports Management - UMass Amherst (2003) Coaching Tree Kat Puda '23 - Smith College Assistant Coach Devon Quattrocchi '18 - Brown University Director of Basketball Operations Jill Pace '14 - Former Tufts University Women’s Basketball Head Coach Chessie Jackson '13 - TCNJ Head Coach Samantha Norris '12 - Former Southern Maine Head Coach Interviews D3hoops.com - It's All About Precision Hampshire Gazette - How Lynn Hersey Turned Smith Basketball into a Powerhouse   Year School Record Conference Record Notable 2006-07 Amherst 12-13 3-6 NESCAC Quarterfinals 2007-08 Smith 5-18 3-10 2008-09 Smith 9-15 3-10 2009-10 Smith 14-10 11-7 NEWMAC Quarterfinals 2010-11 Smith 17-11 12-6 NEWMAC Tournament Runner-up; ECAC New England Quarterfinals 2011-12 Smith 23-6 14-4 NEWMAC Tournament Runner-up; ECAC New England Champions; NEWMAC Coach of the Year 2012-13 Smith 23-5 16-2 NCAA 2nd Round; NEWMAC Coach of the Year; NEWBA Coach of the Year; Tied school record for wins 2013-14 Smith 18-12 15-5 NEWMAC Regular Season Champions; NEWMAC Tournamwnt Runner-up ECAC New England Runner-up 2014-15 Smith 10-15 6-10 2015-16 Smith 11-15 7-9 NEWMAC Quarterfinals 2016-17 Smith 18-9 9-7 NEWMAC Semifinals 2017-18 Smith 20-6 13-3 Co-Regular Season Champions NEWMAC Semifinals NEWMAC Coach of the Year 2018-19 Smith 22-7 13-3 NEWMAC Semifinals NCAA 2nd Round 2019-20 Smith 26-4 7-3 NEWMAC Champions NCAA Sweet 16*  *Season ended due to COVID-19 2020-21 Smith 0-0 0-0 COVID-19 - Did not compete 2021-22 Smith 25-3 9-0 NEWMAC Champions NCAA Sweet 16 2022-23 Smith 30-2 10-0 NEWMAC Champions Northampton Sectional Champions NCAA Semifinalist WBCA National Coach of the Year 2023-24 Smith 30-4 10-1 NEWMAC Champions Brunswick Sectional Champions NCAA Runner-Up D3hoops.com National Coach of the Year 2024-25 Smith 31-3 11-0 NEWMAC Champions Brunswick Sectional Champions NCAA Runner-Up D3hoops.com National Coach of the Year 2025-26 Smith 28-2 11-0 NEWMAC Champions NCAA Tournament Second Round Smith Totals 360-147 (.710) 180-80 (.692) Career Totals 372-160 (.699) 184-86 (.681)  

Kat Puda enters her third year as a full-time assistant with the Smith basketball program after spending two seasons as a graduate assistant with the Bears. At Smith 2024 and 2025 National Finalists 2023 NCAA Final Four 5x NCAA Tournament appearances 5x NEWMAC Champions Awards 2023 and 2026 NEWMAC Coaching Staff of the Year 2025 WBCA Thirty Under 30 recipient Coaching Resume Assistant basketball coach - Smith College (2023-present) Graduate assistant basketball coach - Smith College (2021-2023) Assistant girls basketball coach - King Phillip High School Education Master's Degree - Exercise and Sport Studies - Smith College - 2023 Bachelor's Degree - Health Science and Psychology - Brandeis University - 2021 Athletic Career Four-year member and captain of the Brandeis women's basketball team  

Jen MacAulay enters her 11th season as the assistant basketball coach at Smith College in 2026. At Smith 2024 and 2025 National Finalists 2023 NCAA Final Four 7x NCAA Tournament appearances 6x NEWMAC Champions Awards and Honors 2023 and 2006 NEWMAC Coaching Staff of the Year Coaching Resume Assistant basketball coach - Smith College (2016-present) Assistant women's basketball coach /Recruiting Coordinator - UMass Amherst (2011-2016) Assistant women's basketball coach - Vermont (2008-2010) Graduate assistant coach - UNH (2006-2008) Education Bachelor of Science - Business Administration - UVM - 2002 Master's of Arts - Sports Studies - UNH - 2008 Athletic Career Four-year member of the UVM women's basketball team 2000 America East Champions - NCAA First Round 2002 WNIT Quarterfinals