Edwards ‘ready to make strides’
Former Northeastern assistant eager for first stint as a head coach
New College of Saint Rose women’s basketball coach Whitney Edwards was introduced on Tuesday to the Capital Region media through a Zoom video conference, the 21st and final one of this most unusual search, as first-year athletic director Lori Anctil noted.
“I couldn’t imagine it would come during a pandemic, but it’s my first head coaching opportunity nonetheless,” Edwards said. “We’re here, so just ready to make strides. It’s all brand new for every- one involved and it’s just time to get to work.”
Edwards, a Northeastern University assistant, was able to visit the campus in May despite the coronavirus pandemic that otherwise limited the process to phone calls and video chats. She expressed certainty she found the right fit with the Golden Knights.
“One of the big things was trying to find a place that believed in you,” Edwards said. “I just felt really connected to the overall mission of the school and Lori being at the end of the helm of things here and in her first year, just taking the opportunity to give me a shot, it has meant a lot.”
It was the first hire for Anctil, a former Siena assistant athletic director who took over the Saint Rose program last August. She said her good feelings about Edwards began with her first conversation with Edwards in April.
“I hung up the phone and ran right to my husband and I said, “Oooh, I really like her,” Anctil said. “Of course, he wanted to know why. The answer is that Whitney is a leader. She’s a proven recruiter with an eye for talent, a relationship builder.
She’s a competitor, a winner, and most importantly, a positive role model for the young women she coaches.”
Anctil pointed out the decision wasn’t hers alone, but rather the product of a committee that included campus and athletic administrators, current student-athletes and alumni.
“Coordinating all these different groups, along with the candidates, was quite a process,” Anctil said.
The job appealed to Edwards partly because she’d already coached in Division II Saint Rose’s league, the Northeast-10 Conference. She was an assistant at Stonehill of the NE-10 from 2013 to 2015.
“I just had a great experience there,” she said. “It’s a great level of competition, whether it’s Division I, II or III. It’s a conference that does a great job and has a great product.”
Edwards, a native of Mount Vernon, also wanted to return to her home state. She has already moved into her new home in the Capital Region.
“To be a little bit closer to home was outstanding,” she said. “My family is really excited to get to come
to some games, once that can happen. I’m just really excited to bring my family to be part of this family now and I just can’t say enough about this opportunity to be in my home state.”
University at Albany head coach Colleen Mullen spoke highly of Edwards, a fellow University of New Hampshire alumna, though they barely missed being teammates with the Wildcats.
“I know Whitney well,” Mullen texted. “She visited UNH when I was a 5th-year senior. I followed her career at UNH and subsequently became friends with her through coaching! Great hire for St. Rose!”
Edwards became the America East Defensive Player of the Year in 2007, using a tenacity she hopes to instill in a Saint Rose team that went 7-19 last season, including 2-17 in league play.
“I was definitely known for my defensive ability,” she said. “I like to bring that over into the team, and energy, playing hard. I want to make sure we feel good about what we’re putting in. I think we’re going to be able to make some positive change.”