Karen Pinkos enters her 21st season as head coach of the Southern New Hampshire University women’s basketball program in 2026-27.
In 2025-26, Pinkos guided the Penmen to a 14-13 record and an appearance in the Northeast 10 Championship semifinals. SNHU defeated third-seeded Assumption on the road in the opening round before falling to second-seeded Southern Connecticut State in the semifinals. Senior Meghan Gordon was named to the NE10 All-Conference Second Team and NE10 Academic All-Conference Team. Gordon, Sydnie DeVries, Ava Winterburn and Kameron St. Pierre also earned College Sports Communicators Academic All-District honors.
The Penmen finished 12-16 in 2024-25 and advanced to the NE10 Championship quarterfinals after winning at Saint Michael’s in the opening round. Gordon, DeVries and Winterburn earned CSC Academic All-District honors, while Gordon was selected to the NE10 Academic All-Conference Team for the second consecutive year.
Pinkos led SNHU to three consecutive NCAA Championship appearances from 2021-22 through 2023-24, with the Penmen winning 60 games during that span. The 2023-24 squad finished 17-11 overall and 15-7 in the NE10 before falling to Jefferson, 91-89 in overtime, in the opening round of the NCAA East Regional.
Adrianna Timberlake was named the NE10 Player of the Year for the second consecutive season in 2023-24. She also earned Women’s Basketball Coaches Association All-America honors and was selected to the Division II Conference Commissioners Association East Region First Team. Timberlake concluded her career with 1,634 points, then third in program history, and a program-record 217 3-point field goals. Jess Knight was named to the NE10 All-Conference Second Team, while Abby Wager earned a spot on the All-Rookie Team.
The 2022-23 Penmen went 22-8 overall and 15-5 in conference play, advancing to the second round of the NCAA Championship for the first time. Timberlake was named NE10 Player of the Year, while she and Knight both earned First Team All-Conference honors.
Timberlake and Knight were also key members of the 2021-22 team that finished 21-7 and won the NE10 regular-season championship with a 15-4 league mark. The Penmen earned the top seed in both the NE10 Championship and NCAA East Regional, while Pinkos was voted NE10 Coach of the Year. Gyanna Russell and Meg Knollmeyer received First Team All-Conference recognition. Pinkos recorded her 200th career victory against American International College on Nov. 28, 2021.
Beginning with the 2017-18 season, Pinkos directed SNHU to six consecutive winning seasons and six straight NE10 Championship appearances, excluding the canceled 2020-21 campaign. The 2017-18 and 2018-19 teams combined to go 33-25 behind Kylie Lorenzen, a two-time NE10 First Team All-Conference selection. Lorenzen was also the program’s first NE10 Rookie of the Year in 2016 and finished her career as SNHU’s all-time leader in points (1,798) and rebounds (932).
Pinkos earned her 100th career victory against Southern Connecticut State University during the 2012-13 season. A year earlier, she led the Penmen to a 19-10 record—the program’s best season since 1990-91—and regional recognition. Christine Duffy led all three NCAA divisions in assists per game that season, while Duffy and Sloane Sorrell earned NE10 All-Conference honors.
In addition to its success on the court, SNHU has become one of the nation’s top academic programs under Pinkos. The Penmen earned three consecutive spots in the WBCA Division II Academic Top 25 Team Honor Roll, ranking 24th nationally in 2023-24, 20th in 2024-25 and 14th in 2025-26. SNHU also captured consecutive NE10 Team Academic Excellence Awards in 2024-25 and 2025-26 after previously receiving the honor in 2012-13 and 2014-15.
The program is also active in the community and annually hosts Pink Day to recognize those who have battled breast cancer.
Pinkos began her coaching career at her alma mater, the University of New Hampshire. She later served as an assistant coach at Boston College, Providence College and Northeastern University, compiling more than 16 years of NCAA Division I coaching experience. She helped Providence earn a share of the Big East 7 title in 1996 and guided Northeastern to the 1999 America East championship and the first NCAA Tournament appearance in program history. Women’s Basketball Journal recognized Pinkos as one of the nation’s top assistant coaches in 2000.
A four-year member of the women’s basketball team at UNH, Pinkos captained the Wildcats during her junior and senior seasons. She earned First Team All-Conference honors as a senior after helping UNH win 19 games and went on to play professionally in Germany. Pinkos earned her bachelor’s degree in leisure management and tourism from UNH.
A native of Allenstown, N.H., Pinkos was an All-State performer at Pembroke Academy and played in the New Hampshire/Vermont Alhambra All-Star Game. She was inducted into the Pembroke Academy Hall of Fame in 2025.
