Cait Wetmore named Monmouth women’s basketball head coach
WEST BRANCH LONG, NJ (April 22, 2024) – Cait Wetmore has been named the 10th head coach of the Monmouth University women’s basketball program, Athletic Director Jennifer Sansevero announced Monday. Wetmore previously served as associate head coach at UNC Charlotte.
“It is with great excitement and pride that I welcome Coach Wetmore to the Monmouth family as our new head women’s basketball coach,” Sansevero said. “With a history of success, dedication and passion for the game, she embodies the values and spirit of our university. Cait is wholeheartedly invested in the development of student-athletes, empowering them to succeed on on the field, in the classroom, and in the community In this new and ever-changing world of college athletics, Cait is uniquely equipped to continue the recent success of Monmouth women’s basketball and position the program for success at home. future.
Wetmore comes to Monmouth after four seasons at Charlotte, the last two as associate head coach, where she helped the 49ers win the 2022 Conference USA Tournament regular season and championships to advance to the 2022 Conference Tournament. the NCAA for the third time in program history. This group won 22 games and went 15-3 in C-USA play, winning three games in three days in the conference tournament, capped by a 68-63 victory over Louisiana Tech in the final. During this 2021-22 season, Wetmore coached Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year KeKe McKinney, who led the league in blocked shots.
“I want to thank President Leahy and the entire athletic administration for the incredible opportunity to lead the women’s basketball program at Monmouth University,” Wetmore said. “I also express my deep gratitude to Athletic Director Jen Sansevero for her belief in me. Monmouth is an incredible place that is heading in an exciting direction. I am grateful to be part of this family and look forward to getting to know the team. and build on the recent success of the program. I can’t wait to get to land and get to work!
In 2020-21, Wetmore was a member of the 49ers staff that led the team to the WNIT. She helped mentor freshman Molina Williams, who was Charlotte’s leading rebounder and was named to the All-Freshman team before being invited to the FIBA AmeriCup as a member of the Islands national team American virgins. Wetmore also worked with Jazmin Harris throughout this year, the C-USA Sixth Player of the Year.
Wetmore coached multi-time first-team all-conference selection Dazia Lawrence, a 1,000-point scorer for the 49ers before Lawrence played for Team USA in the 2023 FIBA 3×3 U23 World Cup in Poland. She also mentored Octavia Jett-Wilson, who finished her time in Charlotte as the all-time leader in games played and started as well as minutes played, in addition to scoring 1,812 points, third all-time at school. She helped Jett-Wilson earn back-to-back first-team honors, as well as C-USA Player of the Year and tournament MVP in 2022. Additionally, Wetmore oversaw academics at Charlotte, where four student-athletes were named to the CSC Academic All-District Team last season.
“Cait Wetmore stood out and emerged as our top candidate among an impressive and diverse group,” said Monmouth University President Patrick F. Leahy. “There was strong interest in this position because Monmouth is a premier institution with a demonstrated commitment to excellence. I’m thrilled to welcome a proven winner like Cait to Monmouth.
Wetmore has received several accolades during her coaching career, including being named to the WBCA 30 Under 30 in 2017, a WBCA Next Up honoree in 2019 and a Top Connect selection in 2020.
Prior to her time in Charlotte, Wetmore was on the staff at UNC Greensboro for six seasons, starting as recruiting coordinator and ending as associate head coach. His final season was one of the best in program history, with the Spartans winning 23 games, including a victory over Wake Forest, capturing the SoCon regular season title and advancing to the championship game of the Southern Conference.
No stranger to developing high-end talent, Wetmore coached Nadine Soliman, the program’s all-time leading scorer, for four seasons, finishing her career with 2,084 points and garnering SoCon Player of the Year and All-Star honors. Freshman of the Year. Soliman is in his fourth professional season in Egypt with Al Ahly and has played for the Egyptian national team. In 2015-16, Wetmore’s first at UNCG, she worked with Lucy Mason, who was a first-team All-SoCon selection.
Wetmore’s defense at UNC Greensboro has been a major reason for the program’s success, with the Spartans ranking 16th nationally in points allowed per game in 2019-20, allowing just 55, 3 per game, while also leading the SoCon in field goal percentage defense (36.8). , scoring margin (+8.7) and three-point defense percentage (28.3). While serving as UNCG’s recruiting coordinator, Wetmore signed two McDonald’s All-American Game nominees.
His coaching career began at Columbia from 2010-12 before returning to his alma mater, Adelphi University, for two seasons and helping the Panthers reach an NCAA regional semifinal and a national ranking among the first 15. She played four seasons at Adelphi, the last two as team captain. Wetmore won the Mary Ann Beaudry Leadership Award for exemplary leadership in 2009 and was a two-time member of the East Coast Conference All-Academic Team while earning Dean’s List honors during her eight semesters .
Wetmore graduated magna cum laude from Adelphi in 2010 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and earned a master’s degree from Columbia in 2012 in clinical counseling.
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