E-mail this pageMeet the Women's Basketball Staff
Cheryl Cole, Head Coach
Cheryl Cole enters her 13th season as the Plattsburgh State head women's basketball coach for the 2009-10 academic year. The Cardinals have qualified for postseason play during nine of her seasons, including the State University of New York Athletic Conference Tournament from 1998 to 2005 and in 2009, as well as 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 15 times during her tenure.
In addition to her coaching duties, Cole is in her eighth year as assistant athletic director and senior woman administrator at Plattsburgh. Regarding the former, she is responsible for coordinating the intercollegiate game and practice scheduling, processing contest contracts and assisting 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 and Intercollegiate Athletic Board, 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 128-177 NCAA record in 12 years for her career--all at 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 served on the WBCA Coach of the Year Committee from 1999-2005 and has was the SUNYAC Captain for the NCAA from 2000-04. Since 2006, she has been serving on the NCAA DIII Women's Basketball East Region Advisory Committee.
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 Yellow Jackets (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.
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