Hannah Early Vaughn joined the Yale women’s basketball coaching staff as an assistant coach in June of 2023.
In 2024-25 Vaughn helped the Bulldogs finish in the top three in the Ivy League in offensive rebounds (12.1 per game) and bench points (15.3 per game). They had an honorable mention All-Ivy League selection (Mackenzie Egger) and a CSC Academic All-District honoree (Grace Thybulle).
In 2023-24 Vaughn helped the Bulldogs finish in the top three in the Ivy League in offensive rebounds (12.7 per game) and steals (7.52 per game). The Bulldogs earned an impressive 74-68 overtime win at Penn, rallying from an 11 point deficit. Yale made dramatic year-to-year improvements in shooting percentage (up 21 percentage points) and free throw percentage (up 18 percentage points). The Bulldogs also decreased their turnovers by 2.8 per game.and increased their assists by .8 per game. Yale had two CSC Academic All-District selections (Jenna Clark and Brenna McDonald).
Vaughn spent spent the previous three seasons as an assistant coach at Connecticut College. There, she assisted in all aspects of the program, with a primary emphasis on the training and development of the post players. The Camels were among the NESCAC’s best defensive teams for her final two seasons, finishing fourth in points allowed per game each year (53.8 in 2022-23, 58.0 in 2021-22). In her final year they were also fourth in opponent field goal percentage (.346). They made one NESCAC Tournament appearance in Vaughn’s tenure, in 2021-22. The team also excelled in the classroom during her time, with four Camels earning CSC Academic All-District honors in her final year. In her three seasons the team had 19 NESCAC Winter All-Academic Team selections. In both of the her final two seasons the team also had a NESCAC All-Sportsmanship Team honoree.
Prior to her time at Connecticut College, Vaughn worked in legal resources with the National Association of College and University Attorneys in Washington, D.C., for three and a half years. The organization enhances legal assistance to colleges and universities by educating attorneys and administrators on the nature of campus legal issues.
Vaughn played forward at Davidson, where as a senior she earned the school’s Rebecca E. Stimson Award, presented annually “to a woman athlete in recognition of outstanding dedication and contribution to intercollegiate athletics”. She was part of a pair of 22 win seasons, tied for the second-most single-season wins in school history. In 2011-12 and 2012-13 the Wildcats went a combined 33-7 in SoCon play, earning trips to the WNIT each year. Vaughn ended her career fourth in program history in scoring (1,406 points). She ranked in the top 15 all-time in nine categories overall, including first in made three-pointers (231) and seventh in total rebounds (650). In 2013-14 she was named to the media’s All-SoCon Second Team and to CollegeSportsMadness.com’s All-SoCon Third Team. She earned the team’s Wildcat Award in 2015-16 and Best Offensive Player Award in 2014-15.
A native of Huntersville, N.C., Vaughn earned her bachelor’s degree in religion and political science from Davidson in 2016.
