Athletics
Women's Basketball
| Jennifer Niebling | |
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Basketball (W) - Head Coach
Vermont '93 fifth season jniebling@smcvt.edu 802.654.2505 |
Jennifer Niebling, who has been involved with competitive basketball in Vermont for more than two decades, enters her fifth season as head coach of the Saint Michael's College women's basketball program in 2007-08. She led Saint Michael's to an 11-16 season in 2006-07, earning a postseason appearance for the third time in her four years with the program.
Niebling, 47-61 in her first four seasons at the helm of the Purple Knights, led Saint Michael's to a 17-11 record in 2005-06. The 17 wins were just one shy of matching the program record, as Saint Michael's finished with a top-10 regional ranking. Saint Michael's also was one of the most improved Division II women's basketball teams in the country in 2005-06 under Niebling.
In her first year at the helm of the Purple Knights, Niebling posted an 11-16 record in 2003-04. She guided Saint Michael's to the Northeast-10 Conference playoffs for the second consecutive season. in 2004-05, Niebling guided a squad that included six freshmen to an 8-18 record, including a 70-60 upset win at nationally-ranked American International College on Feb. 12.
An assistant coach at the University of Vermont for the six seasons prior to joining Saint Michael's, Niebling was selected as the SMC women's basketball program's fifth head coach in April of 2003. She replaced Sue Duprat, who coached the women's team for 27 years.
"Jen has a proven record with her previous experience at Vermont of being a tireless worker and a talented coach," Athletic Director Geri Knortz said at the announcement of Niebling's hire. "I have great confidence in her abilities to lead our program to success."
Niebling was the top assistant for the highly successful Division I Catamounts for the six seasons prior to joining Saint Michael's, and was actively involved in all aspects of the program. With the Catamounts, she was primarily responsible for recruiting, player development, administrative duties and coordinating summer camps.
Under Head Coach Keith Cieplicki, Niebling helped guide Vermont to three America East Conference regular season championships, one America East tournament title, an NCAA Division I Tournament seed and to the quarterfinals of the Women's National Invitation Tournament. She has coached two America East Rookie of the Year selections, a two-time America East Player of the Year and numerous all-conference players.
"I'm very excited for the opportunity," Niebling said. "I believe Saint Michael's is a special place where I feel the women's basketball program can do some very great things."
A four-year letter-winner at Vermont from 1989-93, Niebling's storied collegiate career includes leading the Catamounts to back-to-back undefeated regular seasons and NCAA tournament bids, during which time Vermont went 57-2.
She was a three-time America East All-Conference selection, a two-time all-tournament team selection, and she currently ranks sixth in the program's history with 1,435 points. A 1993 GTE Academic All-American and a District I All-American, she was chosen as one of the Top 50 Vermont athletes of the century by Sports Illustrated magazine.
Twelve years since her playing days ended, she still ranks in the top ten at UVM in many career statistics, including: steals, three-point percentage, free throw percentage, assists, games played, three-pointers, field goal percentage and rebounds.
Prior to her time on the Vermont sidelines, Niebling spent from 1994-97 as the head women's coach at Trinity College in Burlington, an institution which closed its doors in 2001. She led her squad to a seventh-place finish at the 1996 National Small College Athletic Association National Championship Tournament during her second season at the program's helm.
During her three years at Trinity, she also served as the college's girls basketball camp director and organized the Homegrown Hoops Camp in Randolph, Vt.
As a schoolgirl in Vermont at Division II Randolph Union High School, Niebling scored 1,402 points and led her Galloping Ghosts to the 1988 state title.
"Jen has been a winner at every level from her earliest playing days at Randolph Union High School, through her collegiate career at Vermont, as a head coach at Trinity and an assistant at Vermont she has shown she can get the job done," Knortz said.
| Aaron Dickie | |
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Basketball (W) - Assistant Coach
Vermont '04 second season adickie3@smcvt.edu 802.654.2721 |
Aaron (Yantzi) Dickie, a former standout at the University of Vermont, returns to the Saint Michael's women's basketball program for her second year as the top assistant coach in 2007-08.
"Saint Michael's is very fortunate to have Aaron join our women's basketabll program," Niebling said. "After a stellar playing career, she is eager to share her knowledge and passion for the game with our team. She brings a tremendous amount of energy and enthusiasm to our group, and I couldn't be happier to have her aboard."
Dickie graduated from UVM in 2004 as one of the most decorated players in Catamounts' history. A three-time America East All-Conference selection (first team as a senior, second team as a sophomore and junior), Dickie finished her illustrious career with 1,592 points, fifth in the program's record book (surpassing Niebling, who is sixth on the all-time list with 1,435 points).
An outstanding shooter, Dickie is second in program history with a 56.7 percent field goal percentage, and she holds four of the top-10 single-season field goal percentage marks. She also was an accomplished free throw shooter, connecting on 80.7 percent of her attempts (third in team history), and graduated as the sixth-best rebounder at UVM with 715 boards.
She helped guide the Catamounts to four winning seasons, a pair of 20-victory campaigns, and the America East regular-season title and a berth in the Women's National Invitational Tournament quarterfinals as a sophomore in 2001-02. She was recruited by Niebling, and played her first three seasons while having Niebling as the primary assistant coach for the Catamounts.
