Lynne-Ann Kokoski - Women's Basketball Coach - University of Massachusetts Athletics

Lynne-Ann Kokoski

Title:
Assistant Coach
Location:
Champions Center
E-Mail:
lkokoski@umass.edu

University of Massachusetts head women's basketball coach Tory Verdi announced on May 22, 2019 that Lynne-Ann Kokoski has joined the Minutewomen as assistant coach. A native of nearby Hatfield, Massachusetts, Kokoski arrived in Amherst following three seasons at William & Mary.

"A sincere thanks to Coach Verdi and our administration for this tremendous opportunity to return to my home state of Massachusetts," Kokoski said. "I grew up watching UMass men's and women's basketball and when I learned of the chance to return home and coach high-level basketball in my back yard, I was extremely excited. I look forward to continuing the forward momentum that our program has built over the past three years."

In just Kokoski's third year, 2021-22, the Minutewomen shattered glass ceilings and broke records, as the program garnered its first Atlantic 10 Championship Title to earn an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament for the first appearance since 1998. On March 5, 2022, UMass topped Saint Joseph’s for Verdi’s 100th win at the helm of Massachusetts to advance to the A-10 Finals. The No. 3-seeded Minutewomen defeated No. 1 seed Dayton in the Title Game to hoist the A-10 trophy. On March 19, 2022, the team made its appearance in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament. In addition to a successful postseason, UMass tallied the most wins in program history after finishing 26-7 overall on the year.

Graduate Student Sam Breen earned the program’s first A-10 Player of the Year honor, and added the league’s All-Conference First Team and All-Academic Team to her list of honors. She also was named the A-10 Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player and tabbed a spot on the All-Championship Team, as well, as garnering CoSIDA Academic All-America honors. Junior Sydney Taylor joined Breen on the All-Championship Team, while Taylor and senior Destiney Philoxy were also named to the A-10 All-Conference Second Team.

In Kokoski’s second season, 2020-21, UMass enjoyed a year for the record books capped by its first postseason run since 1998. The squad reached the Atlantic 10 Championship game for the first time since ’98 as well, before receiving a bid to the WNIT. Placed into the Charlotte Regional, the Maroon and White won multiple postseason games, a first for the program.

Philoxy, along with Breen and Taylor, were named to the Atlantic 10 All-Championship Team. Philoxy completed the season averaging 6.5 assists per game, tied for fifth in the country. Philoxy was a mainstay at guard in all 24 games on the season and was placed on the A-10 All-Conference Second Team.

Kokoski's first year back at home was one to be remembered for a slew of team and individual performances. The Minutewomen tied a program record with 20 wins, set a new top mark with an 11-game winning streak and finished tied for fourth place in the Atlantic 10 Conference, the highest under the league’s current alignment. Massachusetts hosted, and won, an A-10 Tournament game at the Mullins Center for the first time since 1998, en route to the league Quarterfinals.

At William & Mary (2016-19), Kokoski worked with the guards and helped orchestrate two of the most successful seasons in program history. Most recently in 2018-19, the Tribe reached the CAA Quarterfinals and graduated a senior class that tied for the most wins (66) in program history. Kokoski was also instrumental in recruiting standout point guard Eva Hodgson, who was named 2019 CAA Rookie of the Year.

W&M posted its second consecutive winning season in 2017-18, during which Kokoski tutored guards Bianca Boggs and Jenna Green toward breakout seasons. Boggs led the CAA in scoring at 15.2 points per game and became the first Tribe player in a decade to earn All-CAA First Team recognition. Green had a career year, setting individual single-season bests in points, rebounds and assists in addition to top program marks in both single-season and career assists.

In her inaugural campaign in 2016-17, the Tribe tied a school record with 20 wins and won a CAA Tournament game for the first time in eight years. Green, who dished out 136 assists and 4.4 dimes per game, picked up CAA All-Academic laurels and senior Marlena Tremba was named All-CAA Second Team, CAA All-Academic and VaSID All-State Second Team. W&M also had the longest winning streak in program history, picking up 11 straight victories from Nov. 18, 2016-Jan. 2, 2017.

Prior to joining the Tribe, Kokoski was director of operations at Providence for four seasons (2012-16). Her daily responsibilities included travel planning, video breakdown, academic oversight and community outreach. She was honored in 2015 as recipient of Providence Athletics' "Gung Ho Award" for her passion and service to the department.

Kokoski remained in Rhode Island after three years (2009-12) in an assistant coach capacity at her alma mater, Bryant University. Bryant collected 37 wins with Kokoski on staff and made the transition up to NCAA Division I competition. Two Bulldogs earned All-Northeast Conference recognition during her time in Smithfield.

A four-year letter winner at Bryant, Kokoski was a captain during her senior season, in which the squad won 20 games plus the Northeast 10 Championship and reached the NCAA Tournament. In 2008, Kokoski graduated with a degree in marketing, minoring in sociology. She added a master's in business administration from Bryant in 2010.