Alma Mater: Eastern Connecticut State University
Hometown/High School: Jewett City, CT
Record at Utica: 8-17 (2025–Present)
YEAR-BY-YEAR at Utica University:
2025-26: 8-17, 4-12 Empire 8
Career Roadmap:
Utica University | 2025–Present (HC)
Russell Sage College | 2014–2024 (HC)
Allison Coleman recently completed her first season as Head Coach of the Utica University women’s basketball program. She is the eighth head coach in program history, and took the reins ahead of the 2025-26 season. Coleman joins the Pioneers after spending a decade at the helm of fellow Empire 8 Conference member Russell Sage College.Â
In her first season at Utica, Coleman led the Pioneers to an 8-17 overall record and a 4-12 finish in the Empire 8. The 2025-26 season saw a pair of Pioneers selected to All-Empire 8 Teams in Vanessa Hall and McKenzie Simmons. Hall was also selected as a finalist for the 2026 Jostens Trophy, which recognizes the most outstanding Division III men’s and women’s basketball players of the year. Both Hall and Simmons also scored their 1000th career points last season, with Hall being the fastest in program history to reach the milestone, doing so in just 57 games. The 2025-26 Pioneers were also selected to the WCBA Academic Team Honor Roll.Â
During her decade at Russell Sage, Coleman compiled a 142-103 overall record (.580 winning percentage) and earned her 100th career head coaching victory on February 8, 2020. She guided the Gators to multiple postseason appearances, including an NCAA Division III Tournament berth, a Skyline Conference regular-season championship, a Skyline Conference Tournament championship and an Empire 8 Championship Game appearance. Coleman was named the 2017-18 Empire 8 Women’s Basketball Coaching Staff of the Year after leading Sage to an 18-8 record and its first Empire 8 postseason appearance.
Coleman’s teams at Russell Sage produced numerous conference award winners, including Skyline Conference and Empire 8 Rookies of the Year, while several players earned All-Conference recognition. In 2015-16, she led the Gators to their first Skyline Conference regular-season title after a 15-1 league record and was named Skyline Conference Coach of the Year. In 2021-22, Sage advanced to the Empire 8 Tournament semifinals, while the program was also recognized by the WBCA for academic excellence with a 3.635 team GPA.
A native of Jewett City, Connecticut, Coleman enjoyed a decorated playing career at Eastern Connecticut State University. She was named the State Farm/WBCA National Player of the Year as a senior in 2003-04 and remains the only four-time All-American in women’s basketball collegiate history.
Coleman finished her career with 1,991 points, 1,134 rebounds, 579 assists and 369 steals. She holds the Eastern program record for career points and assists, shares the women’s career rebounding record, and ranks second in three-point field goals and games played. She is the only player in program history with at least 1,000 career points and 1,000 career rebounds.
As a junior, Coleman led Eastern to the NCAA Division III national championship game while averaging 17.7 points and 11.9 rebounds per game. During her four-year career, the Warriors posted a 101-17 record and qualified for three NCAA Tournaments and one ECAC Tournament. As the 2003-04 National Player of the Year, Coleman also represented Division III on the WBCA College All-Star Team against the USA Women’s Senior National Team.
Coleman has been inducted into the Connecticut Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, the Little East Conference Hall of Fame, the E-Club Hall of Fame and the New England College Basketball Hall of Fame. She was also named to the Little East Conference’s 25th Anniversary All-Star Team. In 2022, Coleman coached a U19 USA team at the United World Games in Klagenfurt, Germany, earning a silver medal.
