Elizabeth O’Brien begins her first season with the program as director of basketball operations. O’Brien’s responsibilities include practice and tournament management, community relations and various administrative duties.
“Liz has a lot of coaching experience and it just so happened that she was heading out this way for graduate school,” head coach Jim Bolla said. “We’re really fortunate to have her join the staff.”
O’Brien holds nearly 10 years of collegiate coaching experience, including two tours of duty at Army. During her first stint with the Black Knights in 2002-03 she helped the team advance to the Patriot League championship game for the first time in 13 years. As first assistant she was responsible for recruiting, scouting opponents, video analysis, game preparations and development of the guards.
She returned to West Point last season, and led the team to a 15-13 mark while focusing on floor coaching and managing the team’s offense. She also helped facilitate marketing and promotions for the team.
O’Brien’s coaching career began in 1997 when she served as assistant women’s basketball coach and assistant compliance director at Dowling College in Oakdale, NY. In 1998, O’Brien moved to the University of South Carolina-Aiken, where during her two-year stay, she was the recruiting coordinator, responsible for signing the Virginia 2A Player of the Year and the TSAC North Carolina Co-Players of the Year. Additional responsibilities included guard development and academic monitoring. In 1999-2000 the team compiled a 15-12 record, its first winning season since 1993-94.
Two years later, O’Brien returned to her alma mater of Hofstra. She assisted in all aspects of the Pride program and as a recruiter brought in a Street and Smith honorable mention All-American, who also was named a Top 50 Player by All-Star Girls Report and Delaware’s Gatorade Player of the Year in 2000 and ’01.
As a member of the Hofstra coaching staff in 2003-04, O’Brien handled all scouting reports and helped the Pride record 14 victories, the highest total for a Hofstra team in 10 years. The Pride also finished second in the Colonial Athletic Association standings.
O’Brien graduated from Hofstra in 2000 with a marketing degree. She was a two-sport athlete at Hofstra, playing both basketball and soccer, and captained the hoops team as a senior.
O’Brien is currently enrolled in graduate studies at UH, pursuing her master’s in educational psychology.
