E-mail this pageMeet the Women's Basketball Staff
Cheryl Cole, Head Coach
Cheryl Cole enters her 11th season as the Plattsburgh State head women's basketball coach in 2007-08. The Cardinals qualified for postseason play during each of her first eight years, including the State University of New York Athletic Conference Tournament from 1998 to 2005 and an Eastern College Athletic Conference Upstate bid in 2003. Prior to her arrival in 1997, Plattsburgh advanced to the postseason only four times during a 23-year stretch from 1975-97.
Under Cole, the Cardinals have set several team records, including season victories (16) in back-to-back years during 2002 and '03. Half of the program's six 1,000-point scorers have played under Cole as Scottie Rovito and Erin Hutchinson became the first set of teammates to accomplish the feat in the same season (2003-04). Several Cardinals have earned all-SUNYAC honors 13 times during her tenure.
In addition to her coaching duties, Cole is in her sixth year as assistant athletic director and senior woman administrator at Plattsburgh. Regarding the former, she is responsible for intercollegiate game scheduling, facilitating athletics practices, processing transfer student-athlete requests and assists with special projects. Regarding the latter, as SWA she represents Plattsburgh at NCAA and SUNYAC meetings, serves as an ex-officio member of the Student Athletic Advisory Committee, Intercollegiate Athletic Board and Booster Club Board of Directors, participates in departmental employment search committees, and completes both the EADA and Equity in Athletics reports for the NCAA and federal government, respectively. In addition, Cole was named the interim athletic director in spring 2004 while the College administrators conducted a search for a permanent replacement for the Department of Sport and Wellness.
Cole owns a 111-144 NCAA record in 10 years--all with Plattsburgh. The Cardinals posted an 11-5 SUNYAC mark for a school record in conference victories in 2003. She registered her 100th victory at Plattsburgh in the 2005-06 season opener on Nov. 19 when the Cardinals routed Green Mountain College, 66-37.
Cole came to Plattsburgh after three seasons as the women's basketball coach at Paul Smith's College from 1994-97. She earned NJCAA Division II Region III Coach of the Year accolades in 1996-97 after leading the Lady Bobcats to the most wins in team history. The team compiled a 25-4 record that season, which included a runner-up finish in the NJCAA Division II Region III Tournament. She also was the school's assistant athletics director and women's soccer coach.
Cole also worked at Saint Lawrence University from 1991-93 and Mary Washington College from 1987-91 as the women's assistant soccer coach and a Residence Life advisor of both schools.
A member of the Women's Basketball Coaches (WBCA) and New York State Basketball Coaches' associations, Cole recently completed a term on the WBCA Coach of the Year Committee and has been the SUNYAC Captain for the NCAA for five years.
Cole is a 1986 graduate of the University of Rochester with a bachelor of arts degree in psychology. She also earned a master of science degree in human development from Rochester.
A highly accomplished collegiate basketball and soccer player, Cole was inducted into the school's Athletic Hall of Fame in 1995. She was the Most Valuable Player of the 1985 New York State Women's Basketball Tournament, and captained the Yellowjackets (13-2-1 overall) to the NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Championship in 1986, the team's first of back-to-back national titles. She was given the Merle Spurrier Award for Leadership, Enthusiasm and Service.
In her spare time, she enjoys golfing, running and traveling.
Kerry Chapin, Assistant Coach
Kerry Chapin is in her second season--and her first as a full-time assistant--of a second stint on Cheryl Cole's coaching staff at Plattsburgh State. She also served as an assistant under Cole during the 1998-99 season.
A former standout player for the women's basketball team, Chapin will help with practice, skill development and public relations for the program. She's also worked the Plattsburgh State women's basketball camp the last two summers.
Chapin was a two-year starter at point guard for the Cardinals from 1997-98, and held school single-season records for 3-point field goals made (fifth all-time) and 3-point field goal percentage (fifth all-time) by the time of her graduation. She was voted the team's most valuable player and was an all-State University of New York Athletic Conference pick during her senior year. She started her collegiate career at Oneonta State for two years prior to attending Plattsburgh.
In addition to coaching, Chapin is in her third year as the College's assistant sports information director. Chapin is a 1998 graduate of SUNY Plattsburgh with a bachelor of science degree in education.
A native of North Bangor, N.Y., Chapin is a member of the College Sports Information Directors of America, earning two "Best in the Nation" certificates from the organization for her work on the women's ice hockey and men's soccer media guide covers during the 2006-07 school year.
Contact Information
For more information about Women's Basketball at Plattsburgh State, please contact:
Coach Cheryl Cole
Phone: (518) 564-4147
E-mail: cheryl.cole@plattsburgh.edu