(Photo credit: Matt Cashore-Imagn Images)

Albany announced the hiring of Kelly Morrone as the next women's basketball head coach.

Morrone spent the past six seasons as the head coach at Merrimack, a member of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. She was named 2026 MAAC Coach of the Year after the Warriors finished 19-13 (15-5 MAAC) and was selected to the women's NIT. Merrimack lost to NJIT in the first round.

'I am incredibly honored and excited to accept the position of head women's basketball coach at the University at Albany,' she said Saturday in a statement. 'I've long admired the tradition and pride of the Great Danes, and I am deeply grateful to be entrusted with this important opportunity. It is a privilege to lead a program with such strong institutional support and a clear commitment to excellence.'

Her record at Merrimack was 74-92. During her tenure, Merrimack made the transition from Division II to Division I.

She also won 117 games at John Carroll, a Division III program in University Heights, Ohio.

Morrone played at South Carolina and was a three-year captain, her career ending with a second-round loss in the Women's NCAA Tournament in 2003. She began her coaching career as an assistant coach at Buffalo (2005-08), followed by stops at Davidson (2008-10), Rhode Island (2010-12) and William & Mary (2012-13) before John Carroll.

At Albany, she replaces Colleen Mullen, who recently accepted the same job at Rhode Island. Mullen led the Great Danes to one NCAA Tournament berth in eight seasons, but before her arrival, Albany was a consistent winner in the America East.

The Great Danes appeared in the NCAA Tournament six consecutive seasons between 2012-17.

--Field Level Media