George Washington University Athletics
Rizzotti Announces GW Women's Basketball Staff
6/7/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
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June 7, 2016
WASHINGTON -- George Washington head women's basketball coach Jennifer Rizzotti announced today that Bill Sullivan has been named associate head coach while Jackie Smith and Laura Harper will join the Colonials' staff as assistant coaches.
Sullivan spent the last 16 seasons on the sidelines with Coach Rizzotti at the University of Hartford, joining the Hawks prior to the 2000-01 season and helping to turn them into a powerhouse in the America East Conference. During his tenure, Hartford won four America East regular-season titles and five conference tournament championships, advancing to the postseason 10 times, including six NCAA Tournament appearances, with first-round wins in 2006 and 2008. With Coach Sullivan on the sidelines, the Hawks won more than 300 games, posted seven 20-win seasons and garnered the program's first-ever top-25 ranking, climbing as high as No. 19 in 2010.
While at Hartford, Coach Sullivan helped develop two America East Players of the Year, one Defensive Player of the Year, one Rookie of the Year and three dozen all-conference honorees, as well as the program's first-ever Wooden Award nominee and its first-ever player drafted into the WNBA. The Hawks also excelled in the classroom, receiving four straight nods on the WBCA's Academic Top 25 Honor Roll from 2010-13.
"I am excited to have Sully join our staff here at GW," said Coach Rizzotti. "He was an integral part of us building the program at Hartford into an America East powerhouse that went to six NCAA Tournaments. His knowledge of the game coupled with his ability to connect to the players to get their very best will be essential in building GW into the kind of program it was when it won back-to-back Sweet 16s in 2007 and 2008. Every head coach values loyalty and assistant coaches they can turn to in any situation; Sully has been that coach for me, and I look forward to seeing what we can accomplish together at GW."
"It is an incredible honor to become part of the prestigious George Washington University," said Coach Sullivan. "Under the leadership of Patrick Nero and his staff, Jennifer will be able to reach the pinnacle of her professional aspirations, and I'm thankful she's asked me to continue on with her. Having met the amazing young women in the program already, I can't wait to get started."
A former Hartford point guard, Coach Smith also spent the last three seasons on the sidelines at her alma mater under Coach Rizzotti. As an assistant coach with the Hawks, Coach Smith helped develop the 2016 America East Sixth Player of the Year, as well as six all-conference players and a pair of all-rookie honorees from 2013-16. She began her coaching career at Stonehill College in Easton, Massachusetts, where she spent two seasons as an assistant coach. In 2012-13, Stonehill finished with a 24-5 overall record and advanced to the NCAA Division II regional semifinals.
A four-year member of Coach Rizzotti's Hartford squads, Smith was instrumental in the Hawks' success from 2007-11, which was highlighted by a pair of America East championships and four straight postseason appearances, including three NCAA Tournament berths with a first-round win over Syracuse in 2008. The two-time team captain helped the Hawks to a 92-39 record during her career. A Third-Team All-Conference selection and an All-Academic Team pick as a junior, Smith inked her name throughout Hartford's record books, as she finished her career ranked second in free throw percentage (.815), sixth in three-pointers made (107), seventh in assists (292) and eighth in games played (122).
"Jackie's success as a player for me is what will make her a terrific assistant coach in the A-10," said Coach Rizzotti. "She knows how to lead and how to connect with people, and she has always had an internal drive to be the best. She was a part of three NCAA Tournament teams at Hartford as a player, including our team that advanced to the second round in 2008 and our Top-25 ranked team in 2010. She knows what it takes to be successful in the postseason. I'm excited about her ability to recruit at GW and bring in players like herself that are committed to both academic and athletic excellence in their collegiate careers and beyond."
"I am beyond excited for the opportunity to coach at the George Washington University," said Coach Smith. "The players' outstanding academic success combined with their athletic achievements make this job one of a kind. I feel very fortunate to be able to continue to work under one of the best head coaches in the country, Jen Rizzotti. We have a very talented and motivated group of young women coming back next season, and I am really looking forward to working with them along with our new staff."
Finally, Coach Harper -- a former national champion at the University of Maryland -- comes to Foggy Bottom following two years as an assistant coach at High Point University, where she worked primarily with the post players and helped develop the 2015 Big South Player of the Year. In her first season at High Point, she helped guide the Panthers to the fourth 20-win campaign in the program's 17-year Division I era. In addition, under her oversight as the squad's academic liaison, the Panthers' team GPA jumped from 2.55 to 3.55. Prior to her time at High Point, Coach Harper was an assistant coach at Loyola University (Md.) during the 2013-14 season, and she also served as an assistant at American University in 2013.
Harper enjoyed a standout collegiate career at the University of Maryland, which included four berths in the NCAA Tournament, a national title in 2006 and a trip to the Elite Eight in 2008. The 2006 Final Four MVP, Harper was a two-time candidate and 2007 finalist for the prestigious Naismith Trophy. Inducted into the ACC Legends Class of 2014, Harper holds Maryland's record for blocked shots with 198 in her career, and she ranks seventh all-time in rebounds (873) and field goal percentage (.565) and 18th in points (1,407). A two-time team captain, her No. 15 jersey currently hangs from the rafters at the Xfinity Center in College Park.
Following her graduation, Harper was selected 10th overall in the 2008 WNBA Draft by the Sacramento Monarchs, where she played for two seasons. She also played three seasons overseas in Turkey, Italy and Russia, earning a pair of All-Star accolades. In addition, she was a member of the United States U-21 National Team, helping the squad to a gold medal at the 2007 FIBA U-21 World Championship in Russia.
"What impressed me most when talking to Laura is the confidence she has in being able to establish credibility as a successful college coach in the short time since she began her career," said Coach Rizzotti. "Like me when I first started, she was a former professional player that needed to figure out what it took to be successful on the other side. I am excited to welcome her to our staff and be able to be a part of her continued growth as a coach. Her success at Maryland as a player will always be part of who she is, but now I hope that together we can add that kind of excellence to her coaching résumé. I believe she has the passion and determination to help us get where we want to go."
"I am blessed and honored to be welcomed amongst a proven group of winners," said Coach Harper, who, along with Coach Rizzotti, gives the Colonials two national champions on the coaching staff. "I couldn't be more excited to learn from Coach Rizzotti, who has successfully made the transition I dream about from a respected athlete to a successful coach. I hope to proudly continue the legacy my father, Haviland Harper, Jr., began as a member of the Colonials' men's basketball team in the 1970s. I couldn't be more happy and proud to be at George Washington."
