Meet the Coach

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Melissa L. Hodgdon

Head Coach

Contact information

Melissa L. Hodgdon joined Wheaton's athletic department as the head coach of the women's basketball program prior to the 2003-04 season. She led the Lyons to their first NCAA Tournament in 13 years last winter, helping the team improving its win total for the fifth straight campaign and capture the program's first New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) regular season and tournament titles. Wheaton also set a school record for league wins with a 12-1 mark.

For her efforts last season, Hodgdon was named league coach of the year, the program's first since 1995. In 2006-07, Hodgdon witnessed a first in school history, coaching the Lyons to their inaugural Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Tournament championship game. In addition to league success, as Wheaton went 21-5 in NEWMAC play the last two seasons, the Lyons have compiled better than a 3.0 cumulative grade-point average as a team during those two campaigns.

Prior to her arrival at Wheaton, Hodgdon served as the top assistant for the women's basketball program at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester for four seasons. During her tenure, the Crusaders captured three Patriot League championships in addition to advancing to the NCAA Division I Tournament three times.

At Holy Cross, Hodgdon was responsible for all phases of recruiting while also playing an integral role in the program's scouting, court preparation and bench coaching. In all of her previous coaching engagements, Hodgdon has seen each and every one of her recruited players successfully complete school. She has continued that perfect graduation rate at Wheaton while boasting three academic all-conference members.

Hodgdon came to Holy Cross after two seasons as an assistant coach at Niagara University. Prior to Niagara, she spent three years as the top assistant at the University of New Hampshire. Hodgdon began her coaching career in 1991 at Framingham State College, where she served as an assistant for one year before moving on to Wentworth Institute of Technology as the head coach for two seasons. In her second year at Wentworth, Hodgdon guided the Leopards to the most successful season in the program's nine years to that point.

In addition to her contributions to the collegiate varsity coaching circuit, Hodgdon has served in other capacities, including coaching recreational women's volleyball at New Hampshire in 1994 and working as the equipment and facilities manager at Wentworth. Prior to Wentworth, she was employed at Newton Country Day School from 1991-93.

Hodgdon is a 1991 graduate of Springfield College, where she earned a bachelor's degree in health education with a minor in psychology. While at Niagara, she earned a master's degree in school counseling. A native of East Boothbay, Maine, Hodgdon was a standout women's basketball player for four years at Springfield. Named team MVP and captain twice, she still holds the school's single-game assists record.

The Hodgdon File

Year	Overall	League	Highlight(s)
2003-04	9-16	4-9	--
2004-05	11-15	6-7	NEWMAC Tournament
2005-06	14-12	6-7	NEWMAC Tournament
2006-07	19-11	9-4	ECAC Tournament
2007-08	22-7	12-1	NCAA Tourn., NEWMAC Champs
Totals	75-61	37-28	5 Seasons

This page is maintained by Scott Dietz. Last updated on 9/5/08.
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Upcoming Schedule

15-Nov Sat Lasell H 1:00pm
16-Nov Sun Wheaton Tip-Off H TBA
21-Nov Fri SUNY New Paltz A 6:00pm