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Karen Pinkos was named the eighth head coach in the history of Southern New Hampshire University women's basketball on May 5, 2005.
A 1988 graduate of the University of New Hampshire, Pinkos spent nine years as an assistant at Northeastern University prior to accepting the position at SNHU and owns over 16 years of Division I coaching experience.
"Karen's credentials are outstanding and we are very excited about her joining the Southern New Hampshire family," said Athletic Director Chip Polak. "Her experience coaching in the Big East and America East will serve her well in the highly competitive Northeast-10 Conference."
In her first four seasons, Pinkos, a native of Allenstown, NH, has led the Penmen to three Northeast-10 Tournament appearances, the first three in the history of the program. In 2008-09, SNHU recorded an 18-11 record, its best season since 1990-91, and posted its first NE-10 Tournament win over Le Moyne. The Penmen were ranked in the top 10 in the East Region for much of the season.
Pinkos began her coaching career at the University of New Hampshire and also served as an assistant at Boston College and Providence College, before joining the coaching staff at Northeastern in 1996. She helped Providence to a share of the Big East 7 title in 1996.
Recognized as one of the nation's top assistant coaches by Women's Basketball Journal in 2000, she helped guide Northeastern to an America East title and the program's first NCAA Tournament appearance in 1999.
Her recruiting success stories at Northeastern included six all-rookie team selections, and she helped develop six all-conference performers.
Pinkos was a four-year member of the women's basketball team at New Hampshire and served as a team captain her junior and senior year. She collected first-team all-conference honors as senior after guiding the Wildcats to a 19-win season, and still ranks high among the program's all-time leaders in career assists. She went on to play professionally in Germany after earning her bachelor's degree in leisure management and tourism.
Pinkos was an all-state performer
at Pembroke Academy and participated in the New Hampshire/Vermont
Alhambra All-Star game following her senior year. She was inducted
into the Pembroke Academy Hall of Fame in the summer of 2006.
Kara Williamson was named assistant women's basketball coach in July, 2009.
Williamson arrived at SNHU after serving as an assistant coach for two seasons at American International College in Springfield, Mass., a member of the Northeast-10 along with SNHU. While there, she helped lead the Yellow Jackets to a two-year record of 38-26. In 2008-09 AIC posted a 21-13 record, reached the second round of the NCAA Division II Tournamentt and also reached the Northeast-10 semifinals.
Williamson spent the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons as an assistant coach at Western New England College in Springfield. Over her two seasons on the WNEC staff, the Golden Bears posted a combined 37-22 record, including a 21-7 mark and a semifinal appearance in the ECAC Division III New England Championship in 2005-06. The 21 victories established a school record.
Before entering the coaching ranks, Williamson was a four-year member of the women's basketball team at Assumption College in Worcester, Massachusetts. A Dean's List student at Assumption, Williamson received the Most Improved Player award as a freshman and the Unsung Hero award as a senior for the Greyhounds. She earned her Bachelor's in Management from Assumption in 2005 and recently completed her Master's in Sport Management at Springfield College in 2007.
A Ludlow (Mass.) High School graduate, Williamson was the Most Valuable Player and a team captain as a senior at LHS. She was a First Team All-Western Mass. selection and was also selected to the All-Massachusetts Scholastic Team.
Sarah Shea, a 2008 graduate of Daniel Webster College, is entering her second season as an assistant coach at SNHU.
Shea was a four-year letterwinner and three-year starter on the Daniel Webster basketball team. She graduated as the program's all-time leader in assists and also ranked seventh in career scoring and third in career three-pointers. As a senior she averaged 6.0 points and 4.2 rebounds per game. Shea was a three-sport athlete at Daniel Webster, also lettering in soccer and softball in each of her first two years and in soccer as a junior. She graduated from Daniel Webster with a degree in sport management.
Shea has served as a counselor at numerour basketball camps during the summer months, including the Dave Cowens Basketball Camp the past six years. She has also served as the varsity and junior varsity coach for Quincy (MA) High in the Quincy Summer League the past several years.
A native of Quincy, MA, Shea is currently
pursuing her master's degree at SNHU.
Monica Galamaga enters her second season as an assistant women's basketball coach at SNHU.
Galamaga served as the head women's basketball coach at SNHU's crosstown rival, Saint Anselm College, for four seasons from 2003-07. Prior to her stint on the Hilltop, she was an assistant coach under hall of fame coach Barbara Stevens for six seasons at Bentley University, during which time the Falcons posted a 166-28 mark and five Northeast-10 regular season titles.
A 1991 graduate of Saint Anselm
with a degree in Psychology, Galamaga was a two-time Northeast-10
All-Conference performer for the Hawks, leading Saint Anselm to the
1991 NE-10 title and a pair of NCAA regional final berths as a
junior and senior. She was inducted into the Saint Anselm Hall of
Fame in 2002.