Melissa D’Amico was named an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for the Yale women’s basketball team in June of 2015. She joined the staff under Joel E. Smilow, Class of 1954 Head Coach Allison Guth.
Coach D’Amico was named a recipient of the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association “Thirty under 30” award after her first year with the Bulldogs. Following the 2015-16 season she led a service trip to Kenya through the Simba Educational Ministry. She brought along 2016-17 captain Elizabeth Haley and some of her former Colgate players.
Before Yale, D’Amico concluded her second season as an assistant women’s basketball coach at Colgate. She served as the program’s top assistant and was an integral part in leading the Raiders to their best season since the 2003-04 Patriot League Championship team.
While at Colgate, she helped the team achieve its best conference winning percentage since 2005-06. During the two seasons, the Raiders had their highest win total in a decade and hosted a Patriot League tournament game for the first time since 2003-04.
The Raiders made program history in a number of categories while D’Amico was an assistant, including their highest free throw percentage, their highest giving rate of alumni while funding a trip to New Zealand, and the first-ever win over Holy Cross on its home floor.
D’Amico made an immediate impact at Colgate, co-directing all recruiting efforts and landing eight players within two classes, which included the 2014 Arizona Gatorade Player of the Year.
With five years of professional playing experience in Europe dating back to 2008, D’Amico has proven to be a successful developer of post players. She mentored Second Team All-Patriot League player Carole Harris to a nine-point, five-rebound statistical increase over one year.
Also under D’Amico’s tutelage, Josie Stockill was selected to the New Zealand National Team during the summer of 2014. Stockill finished the season as the second-leading scorer for the Raiders and has recently broken Colgate’s all-time blocked shots record.
D’Amico has participated in a variety of other duties as well, serving as the leading scout for upcoming opponents while also acting as video coordinator. While at Colgate, she oversaw and controlled all aspects of social media, designed and ordered all Nike contracted equipment, coordinated ongoing community service efforts, and supervised team managers and practice players.
Outside of basketball, D’Amico served as a liaison with the Fellowship For Christian Athletes (FCA), a program that was facilitated and established through her and a group of current Colgate student-athletes.
A graduate of the University of Notre Dame, D’Amico started 58 of 119 games for the Irish. She received Big East Player of the Week honors in both 2006 and 2007. In her four-year career, Notre Dame was ranked as high as fourth in the nation, made an NCAA Sweet 16 appearance, and was 90-39 overall.
