University of Tampa Women's Basketball

Jessee has completed his 14th season as head coach for the University of Tampa women's basketball program. Jessee has guided his team to NCAA tournament appearances in eight of the previous 11 seasons, becoming the first coach in UT history to guide his squad to consecutive NCAA tournaments and most recently the NCAA South Region semifinal. Jessee has 23 years under his belt as a collegiate head coach, with nine of those seasons spent at his alma mater Bluefield State (W.V.) University, where he compiled a 170-89 mark. He earned his 400th career victory on the road when the Spartans defeated Barry by a 69-53 margin in 2013. In all, Jessee is now 436-209 (.676) in the college ranks. He has also moved near the top of the NCAA all-time record book as his .673 winning percentage ranks No. 23 among active coaches and No. 33 all-time nationally. His 436 wins are good for No. 16on the active coaches list. At UT, Jessee has led the Spartans to nine of the program's 11 NCAA tournaments and three Sunshine State Conference tournament championships. His 2003, 2006-11 and 2014 squads all received bids to the NCAA tourney, and all but one of UTs SSC tournament crowns have been during the Jessee era, coming in 2006, 2007 and 2009. His 286-133 record at Tampa gives him the program's top overall winning percentage at .683 as he is also the program's all-time winningest coach. He was also the fastest coach in UT women's basketball history to 100 victories and led his 2005-06, 2006-07, 2007-08, 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11 teams to six straight 20-plus win seasons for the first time in program history. Among the players Jessee has coached include Sheena Walton, who became the first player in UT history to garner second team All-American honors (Daktronics). Walton also joined Crystal Ashley as the only Spartans to be three-time first-team all-SSC selections. He also coached first-team all-SSC selections Jessie McDowell (2003), Yushanda Morse (2004) and Gianna Messina (2009). Under his guidance, Hailee Sullivan was the first player in program history to be named to the NCAA South Regional all-tournament team in 2009. Jessee enjoyed instant success his first season, inheriting a Spartan team that finished 16-12 the previous year and guided it to a 23-8 record, the SSC regular season championship, and a NCAA II Tournament bid. Jessee was named was named Sunshine State Conference Coach of the Year for his efforts as the Spartans advanced to the semifinal round of the NCAA Division II South Regional, winning the programs first NCAA tournament game with a 62-55 victory over Florida Southern. His success reached new heights for the program during the 2008-09 season when his team set a new program mark for wins in a season with 26. The squad captured a share of the regular season conference title and garnered the highest national ranking in team history 19th. Jessee also led the team to a school-record 13 consecutive wins, three of which came as Tampa won the SSC tournament title. The team also secured the programs second NCAA tournament victory. In 2009-10, he was at the helm for a record-setting 26 victory campaign where the team was ranked in the WBCA national top-25 for the entire season. The Spartans also achieved the highest ranking in program history, rising to the No. 12 spot. His team ultimately advanced to the NCAA South regional semifinals, where it suffered a 69-68 setback to No. 4 Arkansas Tech on its home court. The 2013-14 season was also one for the record books at UT as his squad won the SSC regular-season championship while winning a record 14 league games. His squad had five victories over nationally-ranked opponents, including two in the top-10. He guided his squad to the NCAA South Region championship for the first time in program history. He was also honored as the SSC Coach of the Year for his success. The 2015-16 season saw the Spartans win the Sunshine State Conference tournament as they entered the tournament as the five seed. They defeated Barry, Nova Southeastern, and Florida Tech to claim the championship. UT also advanced to the NCAA South Regional Tournament as they upset the top-seed Union University in the opening round.  While at Bluefield State, his teams won four conference championships, two district titles, and advanced to the NAIA Sweet 16 in 1985-86 when he served as an assistant. He was voted district Coach of the Year in 1989, and his team placed either first or second in the WVIAC eight times in 12 seasons (nine as head coach, three as an assistant). During his career, Jessee has tutored and developed two NAIA All-Americans, three conference and district players of the year, 27 all-conference selections at Bluefield State, and the NCAA II national three-point shooting leader. On January 25, 2007, Jessee was chosen to the "25 at 25" squad by the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference as one of the league's top five coaches of all time. The group of 20 players and five coaches was selected by a panel of coaches, administrators, players and media. Jessee was also inducted to the Bluefield State College Athletics Hall of Fame on July 25, 2014. This honor came as a result of his success at both his alma mater and UT. Just prior to accepting the Tampa position, he coached girls basketball at New Port Richey Gulf High School and was named Tampa Tribune Pasco County Coach of the Year in 1998. In five years at the high school level, he compiled a 75-67 record. He was also Pasco County Coach of the Year in golf in 2001-02. Jessee and his wife Nikki reside in Dover, Fla., with their daughter Rudi. Tom Jessee's Collegiate Coaching Career Tom Jessee's Collegiate Coaching Career

Caitlyn Mitryk is in her 10th as the associate head women's basketball coach with the womens basketball program. The 2010 UT graduate, Mitryk was a two-year letterwinner with the Spartans after attending the University of South Florida for two seasons. In her current position, Mitryk has helped the Spartans to four NCAA tournament appearances, and a Sunshine State Conference tournament championship in 2016 and 2021. For the past two seasons, the Spartans have ranked in the national top-15 in scoring defense. In the 2019-20 season the Spartans had the third-highest field goal percentage in the nation shooting 49.9% from the field. UT won the national 3-point crown in 2017, also finishing fourth in the nation in field goal percentage. Overall, Spartan teams have finished in the top-10 in scoring defense five times during her tenure as an assistant coach. She has aided in the recruitment of 11 all-conference players including the Newcomer of the Year in 2014, 2019, and 2020, Player of the Year in 2020 and 2021 as well as an  All-American in 2020. She has also actively served as recruiting coordinator for the UT womens basketball program, traveling and gaining good rapport with fellow coaches and amateur student-athletes across the nation. Mitryk is responsible for all scheduling related duties including game scheduling, official visits, practice, and weight training, along with leading efforts for player development both in and out of season using the most up to date equipment and technology. Among her other roles as an assistant include being responsible for hiring and training all graduate assistants, student managers, and mens practice players. She has also led efforts to develop and conduct scouting reports while verbally demonstrating strategy on opponents for eight seasons. Mitryk also carries out duties of an academic coach by communicating with student-athletes and professors on a bi-weekly basis about academic progress, academic performance and academic responsibility. She has also aided the program while actively heading several fundraising events for the program such as gym rentals, player sponsorships, website development, website sponsorships, and care baskets sales, which brought in significant funds for scholarships and operational needs. She also served as the camp director for five different summer camps by coordinating, marketing, advertising, and demonstrating services such as team, overnight and individual skill camps for 600-plus amateur players. Mitryk also serves as a First-Year Experience adjunct instructor at the University of Tampa, educating incoming freshmen on college transition, academic planning, time management skills, critical thinking, financial literacy, and resume building skills. Mitryk was previously the assistant sports information director at her alma mater after working as a sports information and marketing student assistant in her two years at UT. On the Spartan basketball team, she helped the team post a two-year record of 52-11 with a pair of NCAA tournament appearances and two Sunshine State Conference titles. The 2010 SSC Defensive Player of the Year was also an all-SSC selection and member of the SSC Commissioners Honor Roll with a perfect 4.0 GPA in her final semester. While serving as the team captain, Mitryk was also a member of the Deans List and earned a 2009 NACDA Academic Achievement Award. Prior to attending Tampa, Mitryk attended the University of South Florida for two years as she also played basketball for the Bulls. At USF, she earned a pair of Big East Conference Academic Achievement Awards and played in 41 games in two years. A graduate of Lake Mary High School, Mitryk originally hails from Lake Mary, Fla., and led her high school team to the 2006 Florida 6A state championship. The state championship all-tournament team member was also an all-state selection while earning a McDonalds High School All-American nomination. Mitryk graduated cum laude from UT with a degree in sport management, carrying a cumulative GPA of 3.59. She later earned her Master of Science in marketing from UT, finishing the program in 2016 with a cumulative GPA of 3.75.