Bronx, N.Y. -- Head coach of the Fordham women's basketball program
Stephanie Gaitley has signed an extension, it was announced today, that will keep her in the Bronx through the 2023 season, a total of six more campaigns on top of her current run of six seasons. The program's all-time winningest coach, her previous contract was due to end after the conclusion of the 2020-21 season.
"It has been an honor and a privilege to serve as the women's basketball coach at Fordham for the last six years," Gaitley said, "We have great dreams and plans to take our program even higher during the next six years. Our outstanding Ram family of administrators, professors, alumni, fans, and parents deserve our total commitment in the classroom and on the court. Their enthusiastic support is the key to the success of our program. I also want to thank Father McShane, Jeff Gray, and Dave Roach for allowing me to lead our student-athletes."
Gaitley and the Rams just wrapped up another 20-win season with a postseason berth, the fourth time in the past five years, and advanced to the second round of the postseason WNIT for a third time, rallying in dramatic fashion to defeat Georgetown on the road before falling at Penn State. Fordham finished its season at 22-12 and 11-5 in conference play. Under Coach Gaitley, Fordham has won its only Atlantic 10 championship, during the 2013-14 season, and appeared in its second-ever NCAA Tournament, falling by just one point to California in the first round.
Coach Gaitley became Fordham's leader in career victories with a 74-43 win over Massachusetts in the Rose Hill Gym, breaking a tie with Kathy Mosolino, who coached from 1974-80, for her 116th win with the Rams, and finishing the year with 120. She oversaw junior
G'mrice Davis' rise to First Team All-Conference this year, just the second Ram to ever earn the distinction, along with Erin Rooney in 2014 and 2015, and the sixth time a player has garnered All-Conference honors during Gaitley's tenure. Gaitley has also coached two All-Rookie members, including
Kate Kreslina this season, all three of the program's All-Defense selections, including Davis this year, and three All-Academic honors, including
Hannah Missry this season.
Always preaching equal effort on and off the court, Gaitley saw three seniors graduate this May with their Master's degrees,
Danielle Burns,
Danielle Padovano, and Missry, after finishing their undergraduate degrees in three years at Fordham.
