Saint Michael's College

Jennifer Niebling M'10, who has been involvedwith competitive basketball in Vermont for more than two decades,enters her 10th season as head coach of the Saint Michael's Collegewomen's basketball program in 2012-13.

Niebling led Saint Michael's to its 100th victory with her atthe helm on Nov. 13, 2011, as the Purple Knights downed 2011 NCAATournament qualifier University of Charleston (W.Va.), 70-53. Withthe win, Niebling became the 13th coach in College history to reachthe 100-victory plateau. To cap a season in which the PurpleKnights held a school-record 18 opponents to 60 points or fewer,including 21st-ranked Assumption College in a 62-56 victory on Jan.25, Niebling's charges qualified for the Northeast-10 ConferenceTournament for the sixth time in seven seasons.

After the Purple Knights were picked to finish 15th in the NE-10Preseason Coaches' Poll in 2010-11, the squad went 16-11 overalland placed seventh in the league with a 13-9 record, and earned theprogram's first postseason win in 19 seasons. Saint Michael's wonseven more games than in 2009-10, one of the biggest improvementsin the country.

One of Niebling's most successful seasons came in 2005-06, asshe led Saint Michael's to a 17-11 record. The win total wasjust one shy of matching the program record, as Saint Michael'sfinished with a top-10 regional ranking. Saint Michael's was alsoone of the most improved Division II women's basketball teams inthe country in 2005-06 under Niebling.

After Niebling was named the fifth head coach in program historyin April 2003, her team posted an 11-16 record in 2003-04,qualifying for the NE-10 Tournament in her initial campaign. In2004-05, Niebling's squad, which included six freshmen, posted amemorable 70-60 upset win at nationally-ranked AmericanInternational College on Feb. 12. In 2006-07, the PurpleKnights earned another berth in the NE-10 Tournament, the 2007-08team posted a 13-15 record, and Saint Michael's earned awinning record at 14-13 in 2008-09.

Niebling's teams have been lauded on a pair of occasions, earningthe NE-10 Sportsmanship Award in 2007-08 and an NE-10 AcademicExcellence Award in 2009-10.

A 2007 graduate of the NCAA Women's Coaches' Academy, whoreceived her master's degree in theology and pastoral ministry fromSaint Michael's in 2010, Niebling was the top assistant for thehighly successful Division I University of Vermont women'sbasketball program for the six seasons prior to joining the PurpleKnights. With the Catamounts, she was primarily responsible forrecruiting, player development, administrative duties andcoordinating summer camps.

Under head coach Keith Cieplicki, Niebling helped guide Vermontto three America East Conference regular-season championships, oneAmerica East Tournament title, the 2000 NCAA Division I Tournament,and the 2002 Women's National Invitation Tournament.She coached two America East Rookie of the Year selections, atwo-time America East Player of the Year, and numerousall-conference players.

Prior to her time on the Vermont sidelines, Niebling spent from1994-95 to 1996-97 as the women's basketball head coach atBurlington's Trinity College, an institution which closed its doorsin 2001. She led her squad to a seventh-place finish at the 1996National Small College Athletic Association (NSCAA) NationalChampionship Tournament during her second season at the program'shelm. During her three years at Trinity, she also served as thecollege's girls' basketball camp director and organized theHomegrown Hoops Camp in Randolph, Vt.

A four-year letter-winner at Vermont between 1989-90 and1992-93, Niebling's storied collegiate career includes leading theCatamounts to back-to-back undefeated regular seasons and NCAATournament bids over her final two years, during which time Vermontwent 57-2.

She was a three-time America East All-Conference selection, atwo-time all-tournament team selection, and she ranked eighth inprogram history with 1,435 points upon her hire at Saint Michael's.A 1993 GTE Academic All-America and Academic All-District I pick,she was chosen as one of the Top 50 Vermont athletes of the 20thCentury by Sports Illustrated magazine. Upon graduating in1993, Niebling was first in program history in games played,three-point percentage and free-throw shooting, second in assistsand steals, third in points and field-goal percentage, and sixth inrebounding.

As a schoolgirl in Vermont at Division II Randolph Union HighSchool, Niebling scored 1,402 points and led her Galloping Ghoststo the 1988 state title.