New asst. coach | The Triangle

New asst. coach

The Drexel University women’s basketball team just welcomed a familiar face to the newly vacant assistant coach position. After four years as the team’s coordinator of basketball operations, head coach Denise Dillon and her squad announced that Stacy McCullough will fill that spot, effective immediately.

McCullough succeeds James Clark, who contributed as an assistant coach for Drexel from 2007 to 2012 and has left the Dragons to pursue a position at Wagner College.

“I look forward to being on the court and helping the players see and understand the game as I see it,” McCullough said of her new responsibilities. “I really enjoy the staff I work with every day, and being a part of Drexel Athletics is something I value so much.”

In her former position as coordinator of basketball operations, McCullough juggled many different tasks. She managed all of the operations of the basketball office on a daily basis. She also collaborated on the team’s practice and traveling schedules during the season. Her familiarity with the program stemmed not just from her time in the office but also from her time on the court as a competitor.

Under the leadership and guidance of Dillon, McCullough played on the Drexel basketball team after joining as a walk-on in 2004. Not just a fierce competitor, McCullough always showed dedication and passion on and off the court. Despite battling a knee injury her junior year, she exuded professionalism and talent and earned herself the team’s Spirit and Leadership Award. She started in 24 of 25 games in her senior season.

McCullough graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in legal studies and a minor in psychology.

“I have a lot of pride graduating from Drexel and being a student-athlete,” McCullough said. “Being a Dragon meant more to me than the uniform I put on. It became a lifestyle with friends, coaches and teachers helping me work through problems and developing me to be a better student, athlete and person. I want the girls to have the same opportunities and involvements that were open to me.”

The talent and leadership did not end when she graduated, as she joined the staff and played a key role in guiding the Dragons to their first-ever Colonial Athletic Association Championship in 2009. She hopes to continue that guidance in her new career.

“As an assistant coach, I can use my familiarities and knowledge to assist the girls in getting the full Drexel experience,” McCullough happily said.

One of her main responsibilities as assistant coach will be recruiting. As Dillon commented, she believes that McCullough will be an “outstanding recruiter” as the team strives to “bring in standout student-athletes to Drexel.”

This is a task that McCullough takes very seriously, and she hopes to achieve the high standards that she has set for herself. With a strong and talented group of women backing her up, she believes that making the move and accomplishing her new tasks will happen with ease.

“I am extremely fortunate because I have three women who have already started helping me with the new transition and are great role models,” McCullough said. “Denise [Dillon], Amy [Mallon] and Melissa [Dunne] have all given me pointers and have been molding me to be a great Drexel recruiter. I have always liked a challenge and look at this new responsibility to be an aspect I can develop quickly with the help of the staff.”

With a new position comes new challenges, but McCullough is ready to tackle them head on with a little help from her coaching staff and players.