Ashante Timoll, an assistant coach the last three seasons and former three-year captain of the New Jersey City University women’s basketball team, has been hired as the 11^th head coach in the 35-year history of the Gothic Knight program. The announcement was made by NJCU athletic director Larry Schiner following a national search.

“Working at my alma mater and being head coach of the very program that had such a large impact on the person I am today is both an honor and great opportunity,” Timoll said. “I have gone through every stage of this program—player, assistant coach, and now head coach. It still blows my mind when I think about it. But, it feels good to give back to NJCU.”

Timoll succeeds her former boss, Alice DeFazio, for whom she played her entire collegiate career. DeFazio resigned following the 2004-05 season—the 11^th season of her second stint at the University—to concentrate on her duties as Associate Director of Athletics, including compliance and eligibility. DeFazio, who also guided the program from 1982-85, has served as head coach since the 1994-95 season.

“We are very happy to promote Ashante as our new head women’s basketball coach,” said Schiner. “She has done a solid job as an assistant coach the last three years and I agree with the decision that she is the best choice to ensure a smooth coaching transition while seeking to guide the program to the next level. As a standout player and three-year captain, she demonstrated excellent leadership abilities. As an assistant coach, she demonstrated her knowledge of the game, while relating very well with the student-athletes at a school she attended.

“I also wish to thank Alice DeFazio who gave the program her best for more than a decade, and will continue to serve the athletics program as Associate Director.”

"Ashante's familiarity with our institution, our program, and our student athletes makes her a natural fit,” DeFazio said. “I am certain that the program will prosper under her leadership, and she will effectively lead the young women under her tutelage. Her experience as both player and coach will definitely make for a smooth transition, and I am confident she will lead the program to the next level."

Before her hiring as head coach, Timoll served the last three seasons as DeFazio’s assistant, since returning to her alma mater in September of  2002.

A May, 2001 graduate of NJCU with a B.A. in Business Administration-Finance, Timoll was previously employed as a financial advisor for AIG Valic for nearly three years, and at New England Financial over the last year.       

A four-year starter at shooting guard and small forward and a three-year captain, she was only the third player in the program’s history to serve as a three-year captain. She was the lone captain in her junior and senior seasons.

A native of Palisades Park, NJ, Timoll graduated from NJCU ranking fifth on NJCU’s all-time steals list (107), fifth in assists (125), seventh in career field goals (278) and 10th in games played. She played in 94 of 96 games in her collegiate career, missing only two games as a senior.

As an undergraduate, Timoll was elected chairperson of the NJCU Student-Athlete Advisory Board, and served as a volunteer with the athletic department’s community outreach sports camps and clinics. In 1999, she was NJCU’s nominee for NJAIAW Woman of the Year.

She graduated from Palisades Park High School in June 1996 after a standout four-year prep career from 1992-96 for Coach Mark Cieslak. Timoll earned First-Team All-BCSL National Conference honors as a senior in 1996, as the Tigers went 17-9 overall.

“I am very confident about this upcoming season,” Timoll noted. “Over the years we have won a lot of the small battles that tend to go unnoticed, but these young women are dedicated and prepared to work to achieve success. These young women are what make this program. It is going to be my job to help them realize their true potential and make sure their time in this program not only helps them prepare for a game of basketball but more importantly the game of life.”