SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. — Mount Holyoke College Director of Athletics Andrea Ricketts-Preston announced Tuesday the appointment of former Juniata assistant Abby Wemhoff as the fourteenth head coach in the history of the Lyons basketball program.
"I'm excited to have Abby join our staff as our new basketball coach," said Ricketts-Preston. "Having observed her work ethic for the past several years, she has earned the opportunity to lead her own program. I know she will give everything she has to develop our current players and to recruit outstanding scholar-athletes to the Mount Holyoke community to move our program forward."
"I'm thrilled to accept this position, and I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to the entire Mount Holyoke College athletic department for providing me with this opportunity," said Wemhoff. "I am honored to work alongside Andrea Ricketts-Preston as we lead the basketball program to new heights. This next step in my career is exciting, and I can't wait to hit the ground running for the Lyons!"
Wemhoff graduated from the University of Mount Union in 2016 as a four-year member of the Purple Raiders basketball team. Wemhoff started every game of her senior season and helped Mount Union win the 2016 Ohio Athletic Conference title and advance to the NCAA Tournament, winning admiration from head coach Suzy Venet-Pietz that stands to this day.
"Abby is a true educator, and I believe she is ready to take the next step in her career," said Venet-Pietz. "She has all the tools to build a successful program with her knowledge, work ethic and excellent leadership skills. Abby's biggest strength is her passion to help her players; whether coaching college players or coaching young players at camp, she brings the energy and motivation every day to help players learn and achieve their goals."
Wemhoff holds a bachelor's degree in physical education pedagogy from Mount Union and an MBA in business administration from Waynesburg University, where she also began her college coaching career. Wemhoff was a graduate assistant coach at Waynesburg for one year, helping the Yellow Jackets go 15-12 in the 2017-18 season.
From the 2018-19 season through 2023-24, Wemhoff served as assistant basketball coach at Juniata College in Huntingdon, Pa., where she has been involved in all facets of program management, including operations, recruitment coordination, individual skill development, game film breakdown and analysis, pre- and post-season strategy, weekly individual meeting and study hall management, and team travel logistics. She organized the team's alumni game weekend event and created engaging social media content for the team. Wemhoff also served as advisor to Juniata's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, assisted Juniata's strength and conditioning coach for athletes across multiple sports teams and served as director of the college's girls basketball camp.
Asked to comment on Wemhoff's hiring, Danny Young-Uhrich, Juniata's head coach for the past 21 seasons, remarked about "how awesome Abby is."
"Abby has an unbelievably bright future in coaching," Young-Uhrich said. "Her energy and passion for the game are contagious, she has a hyperintelligent basketball IQ, and she's an unbelievable advocate for empowering female athletes. She truly embodies the Division III spirit and is a champion for women's basketball. She has all the qualities it takes to be a very successful coach; she just needed an institution to take a chance on her. Mount Holyoke is getting a true gem."
Wemhoff replaces Jackie Ward, the team's head coach for the past six seasons, who resigned last month. Wemhoff begins at Mount Holyoke on May 1.
"I am excited to get to know the team and be on the court with them," Wemhoff said. "I'm committed to fostering a culture built on hard work, accountability and building strong bonds on and off the court. The future is bright for this team, and we will achieve great things together!"
