Melissa Brooks, in her third year as an assistant on Coach Megan Haughey’s staff, took home the Empire 8 Conference Coaching Staff of the Year Award in 2015-2016 Brooks came to Stevens after previous coaching stops at Washington College and Marymount University.
For the second straight year the Ducks have made an appearance in the NCAA Tournament. In the 2014-2015 season they received the programs first At-Large Bid into the Big Dance. 2015-2016 the team has captured wins in the NCAA First & Second rounds and a berth into the NCAA “Sweet 16” a first for the program. The Ducks finished the season at 23-7 and recorded their second straight 20-win season.
Brooks helped guide Stevens to a 15-1 Empire 8 regular season record, and capturing the Empire 8 crown with an impressive 70-44 victory over rival Ithaca College. Stevens posted a 10-point average margin of victory while earning the conferences top defense, allowing just 55.4 points per game.
In Brooks’ time here, the Ducks have made the Empire 8 Conference Championships every year. Erica Guketlov took home their first ever Rookie of the Year Award in 2013-2014. Kaitlyn Astel went on to win Conference Player of the Year back-to-back years in 2014-2015 and 2015-2016 seasons. Kaitlyn Astel, Miranda Ripken and Avis Benjamin have all hit the 1000-point milestone for the Ducks in this time.
Brooks played collegiate basketball at Division II powerhouse Holy Family University, where she scored 1,115 career points as the Tigers posted a won-loss record of 116-13, won back-to-back Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) Championships and competed in four NCAA National Championship Tournaments during her four years on the team. She was named the CACC’s Rookie of the Year in 2006 and earned a spot on the All-CACC third team in 2007 and 2009. In 2008 she was placed on the NCAA All Tournament team after reaching the Sweet 16. She was inducted into the Neshaminy High School Hall of Fame in 2012 following an illustrious prep career that included the 2005 Bucks County (Pa.) High School Player of the Year Award.
A 2009 graduate of Holy Family University with a bachelor of arts degree in Media Arts Communications, Brooks went on to spend two years as an assistant varsity girls basketball and softball coach, Physical Education instructor, photography and film editor and dorm teacher at The George School in Newtown, PA.
