WASHINGTON – Georgetown University Head Women's Basketball Coach Darnell Haney has announced promotions for two Hoya staff members for the 2024-25 campaign. Assistant Coach Kelly Mazzante has added the job of recruiting coordinator to her title, while Eric Lindsey has been promoted to assistant coach after serving as director of recruiting for the past season.
Mazzante joined the staff in 2023 as an assistant coach. In her first season, Georgetown had a historic year as the Blue & Gray advanced to the BIG EAST Championship for the first time in program history and participated in the inaugural Women's Basketball Invitation Tournament. Individually, the Hoyas boasted the BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year, a BIG EAST Sportsmanship Award winner, the BIG EAST Sixth Woman and a First Team All-BIG EAST honoree.
The squad managed a record of 23-12 marking the first 20-win season since 2011-12. Along the way to the championship game, the Hoyas managed two upsets including a win over nationally-ranked Creighton who was sitting at No. 21 in the AP Poll at the time. Georgetown was one of the top teams in the country on the defensive end of the floor with a top 10 ranking for much of the season.
Mazzante came to GU after spending four seasons at Bucknell, being promoted to associate head coach prior to the 2022-23 season. In her time with the Bison, the team appeared in one Patriot League championship game and made a WNIT run in 2021-22. The squad had its best season in 2019-20 going 24-6 and riding a nine-game win streak before the PL Tournament was canceled due to COVID-19.
Overall, Mazzante coached three First Team All-Patriot League selections as well as three second team members and two named to the third team. She also mentored four Patriot League All-Tournament honorees.
The former Penn State standout returned to her roots after being one of the best local players in history while playing at nearby Montoursville High School. On Oct. 30, 2022, Mazzante was formally inducted into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame.
Prior to Bucknell, Mazzante spent five seasons as an assistant coach at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. At IUP, she guided the squad to its most illustrious stretch in program history, all of which resulted in 20-plus wins and bids to the NCAA Division II Tournament. Her time with the Crimson Hawks was capped by back-to-back appearances in the NCAA Division II Final Four. These were the first and second Final Four games in program history. In all, the team went 130-29 (.818) overall and 92-17 (.844) in the PSAC while winning three PSAC West Regular Season Championships, two PSAC Tournament titles, and two Atlantic Region crowns.
Prior to coaching, Mazzante was a prolific player in high school, college, the WNBA and internationally. She graduated from Penn State in 2004 as the Big Ten's all-time leading scorer with 2,919 points. With the Nittany Lions, she was a two-time Associated Press First Team All-American, and the fourth player in Big Ten history to repeat as Player of the Year, earning the award as both a junior and senior. In addition to her career scoring record, she holds Penn State records for points in a season (872 in 2001-02), points in a game (49 vs. Minnesota in 2001), career field goals made (1,051) and career 3-point field goals made (357).
During her senior campaign, Mazzante led the Nittany Lions to their second-consecutive Big Ten championship and a number one seed in the NCAA tournament, with an eventual trip to the Elite Eight. Shortly after that she was drafted by the Charlotte Sting in the second round of the 2004 WNBA draft. This was the same draft class as GU Head Coach Tasha Butts as well as Hoya standout Rebekkah Brunson. Mazzante went on to play seven seasons overall and won two league titles with the Phoenix Mercury in 2007 and 2009. Additionally, she played professionally for teams in Slovakia, Russia, Hungary and Italy.
Few players in Pennsylvania high school girls basketball history have been able to match the numbers put up by Mazzante during her time at Montoursville. The Williamsport, Pa., native scored 3,217 points as a four-year starter, which ranked third in state history when she graduated. She led the Warriors to state championship appearances as both a junior and senior, winning the Eastern Pennsylvania regional titles both seasons.
Off of the court, Mazzante earned a Bachelor's of Science in public relations/communications from Penn State in 2004. She was a three-time Academic All-America selection, including Academic All-American of the Year as a senior.
"Coach Mazzante has been extremely instrumental in our recruiting efforts all year long," said Haney. "The planning, organization and method of presentation of our program to future Hoyas is a task that is vital to our growth and essentially the lifeblood of our program. Coach Mazzante has welcomed this challenge with open arms helping us sign one of the best classes in the BIG EAST. I am excited to have her tasked with this new responsibility and I know she is prepared to do an amazing job."
Eric Lindsey has been promoted to assistant coach after serving as the recruiting coordinator for a season. Lindsey is a local product who has spent time in college athletics for the past few years on the creative side.
In his first year on the Hilltop, Georgetown had a historic year as the Blue & Gray advanced to the BIG EAST Championship for the first time in program history and participated in the inaugural Women's Basketball Invitation Tournament. Individually, the Hoyas boasted the BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year, a BIG EAST Sportsmanship Award winner, the BIG EAST Sixth Woman and a First Team All-BIG EAST honoree.
The squad managed a record of 23-12 marking the first 20-win season since 2011-12. Along the way to the championship game, the Hoyas managed two upsets including a win over nationally-ranked Creighton who was sitting at No. 21 in the AP Poll at the time. Georgetown was one of the top teams in the country on the defensive end of the floor with a top 10 ranking for much of the season.
Prior to Georgetown, Lindsey spent a season at Western Kentucky where he was a graduate assistant where he assisted with practice planning and player workouts along with graphic design and photography related to recruiting.
Outside of the college ranks, Lindsey was the head girls basketball coach at Northern High School in Calvert County, Maryland.
Lindsey graduated in 2017 from Washington Adventist University in Takoma Park, Maryland where he was a communications major. He was also a member of the Shock men's basketball team.
"This past season Coach Lindsey took on a new role and added responsibility that, like all of us here on staff, was not the one he initially signed up for," said Haney. "The fact that he stepped up to the plate with on-court player development, scouting and recruiting when needed made it evident that he was the right person for the job. Coach Lindsey will be tasked with the development of our post players, recruiting and scouting opponents. His positive energy, DMV background and drive to be the best basketball coach he can be will help this program tremendously."
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