Athletics
Women's Basketball
| Jennifer Niebling | |
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Basketball (W) - Head Coach
Vermont '93 Seventh 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 seventh season as head coach of the Saint Michael's College women's basketball program in 2009-10. She led Saint Michael's to a 14-13 record in 2008-09, the program's second winning season in the last four years, and earned a postseason appearance for the fifth time in her six years with the program.
Niebling, 74-89 in her first five 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. In 2006-07, Niebling's squad went 11-16, earning yet another berth in the NE-10 Tournament, and in 2007-08 she posted a 13-15 record. She also is a 2007 graduate of the NCAA Women's Coaches' Academy.
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.
Fifteen 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.
Niebling's Year-by-Year Results
| Year | School | Wins | Losses | Notes |
| 1994-95 | Trinity (Vt.) | N/A | N/A | |
| 1995-96 | Trinity (Vt.) | N/A | N/A | Seventh Place - NSCAA National Tournament |
| 1996-97 | Trinity (Vt.) | N/A | N/A | |
| Totals (3 Years) | N/A | N/A | ||
| 2003-04 | Saint Michael's | 11 | 16 | NE-10 Tournament |
| 2004-05 | Saint Michael's | 8 | 18 | |
| 2005-06 | Saint Michael's | 17 | 11 | NE-10 Tournament One win shy of matching program record |
| 2006-07 |
Saint Michael's | 11 | 16 | NE-10 Tournament |
| 2007-08 | Saint Michael's | 13 | 15 | NE-10 Tournament |
| 2008-09 | Saint Michael's | 14 | 13 | NE-10 Tournament |
| Totals (6 Years) | 74 | 89 | ||
| Career Totals (9 Years) | N/A | N/A |
| Shannon Kynoch | |
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Basketball (W) - Assistant Coach
Southern Maine '08 Second season skynoch@smcvt.edu 802.654.2503 |
Shannon Kynoch, a local high school standout and four-year college basketball player, returns to Saint Michael's for her second season as an assistant coach with the women's basketball program in 2009-10.
After serving as a volunteer assistant coach in her first year with the program in 2008-09, Kynoch was promoted to the Purple Knights' full-time top assistant position in August of 2009. With her full-time responsibilities, Kynoch will also be part of the Purple Knights' athletic operations team, staffing a number of athletic contests.
"I'm thrilled to have Shannon join our full-time staff," said head coach Jen Niebling. "She was a valuable asset for the team last season, and I'm sure she'll add to those contributions this year. She is a terrific mentor for our players and has a keen eye for the nuances of the game. I'm looking forward to an excellent year with her on board."
"I am very excited and grateful to have the opportunity to return to the Saint Michael's community and the women's basketball program as a full-time employee," said Kynoch. "After serving as an assistant in a part-time capacity last season, I was able to see the growth and potential that this program has, and I cannot wait to get back to work and see what this season brings."
Kynoch was a four-year member of the women's basketball program at the University of Southern Maine, a perennial NCAA Division III power. As a senior in 2007-08, Kynoch started every game, and led the team in blocks as the squad compiled a 25-4 record. She was a medical redshirt in 2006-07, but was the Huskies' top player off the bench in 2005-06 during the team's 32-2 season, a year in which the squad advanced to the Division III championship game. She appeared in 30 games as USM made the "Final Four", going 31-3 in 2004-05, and also played in 24 games as a first-year during the Huskies' 29-2 campaign in 2003-04.
Kynoch had a standout basketball career at nearby South Burlington High School. She was a two-year captain, and three times made the Burlington Free Press All-State team (Second Team as a senior, Third Team as a junior, and Honorable Mention as a sophomore). A McDonald's All-American nominee, Kynoch also was named to the Vermont Basketball Coaches' Association Dream Team Dozen Underclassmen as a junior. She represented Vermont in the Twin State Basketball game as a senior, and also earned First Team All-Metro League honors.
While serving as a part-time coach at Saint Michael's in 2008-09, Kynoch was a para-educator at her alma mater, South Burlington High School (SBHS). She served as an assistant coach for the SBHS varsity softball team in 2009, and also has served as an assistant coach for the SBHS Unified Sports Special Olympics program.
| Kristen Shaeffer | |
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Basketball (W) - Assistant Coach
Vermont '90 Fourth season kshaeffer@smcvt.edu 802.654.2721 |
Kristen Shaeffer, a former college teammate of head coach Jen Niebling with more than a dozen years of coaching experience, returns to Saint Michael's in 2009-10 for her fourth season (and second consecutive) on the Saint Michael's women's basketball coaching staff.
Shaeffer also worked under Niebling during the 2004-05 and 2005-06 seasons, Niebling's second and third as head coach of the Purple Knights. In her three years as an assistant, Shaeffer has helped lead the Purple Knights to two winning seasons.
Before joining the Purple Knights, Shaeffer spent seven years as an assistant women's varsity coach at the College of St. Joseph, an NAIA Division II institution in Rutland, Vt. Shaeffer aided the advancement and training of practices and games, recruited prospective student-athletes, scouted upcoming opponents, and arranged and facilitated travel activities.
While with the Fighting Saints, Shaeffer also served as an assistant varsity softball coach for three years at both the high school and college levels.
From 1996 to 1999, Shaeffer was the head coach of the Vermont Superstars AAU women's basketball team, a squad she founded. The team competed in advanced spring and summer tournaments throughout the Northeast.
Shaeffer is a 1990 graduate of the University of Vermont, where she received a bachelor's degree in animal science before earning her master's degree in cardiac rehabilitation from Springfield College in 1994. While at Springfield, Shaeffer served as a graduate assistant women's varsity basketball coach for two seasons.
A four-year letterwinner in both basketball and softball at Vermont from 1986-90, Shaeffer served as a basketball captain her senior season, Niebling's first year with the program. Shaeffer held the program record with 101 blocked shots until 2005, and in softball was selected to the All New England team in 1990.
Shaeffer's work experience also includes stints as an adjunct professor at both the College of St. Joseph and Castleton State College, and a six-year tenure as an exercise specialist at the Rutland Regional Medical Center's cardiac rehabilitation program.
| Amy O'Connell | |
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Basketball (W) - Assistant Coach
Merrimack '02 First Season |
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Amy O'Connell joins Saint Michael's for her first season as an assistant coach with the women's basketball program in 2009-10.
O'Connell, who received her graduate degree from Thomas Jefferson University, had a solid basketball career at league-rival Merrimack College. A top student-athlete, she was named to the NE-10 Commissioner's Honor Roll Gold Scholar as a senior. That season, she started 24 games for the Warriors, averaging 7.9 points and 4.4 rebounds per game. Her best year came as a junior in 2000-01, when she averaged 8.3 points and 5.6 boards per contest while making more than 54 percent of her field goal attempts.
