Krista Kilburn-Steveskey, the associate head coach at James Madison University and a proven recruiter, has been named the head women's basketball coach at Hofstra University it was announced today by Hofstra Director of Athletics Jack Hayes.  Kilburn-Steveskey becomes the 11th head coach in Hofstra Women's Basketball history and replaces Felisha Legette-Jack, who resigned on April 19 to become the head coach at Indiana University.

"I'm ecstatic about this opportunity to become the head coach here at Hofstra University," stated Kilburn-Steveskey.  "This is an exciting time for me in my career and I look forward to becoming a part of the Hofstra family.  The winning atmosphere at Hofstra is something I am thrilled to be part of."

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Kilburn-Steveskey (pronounced Stuh-VESS-key) will take over a Hofstra team that returns four starters and is coming off its first-ever Division I postseason appearance.  Hofstra finished 19-12 in 2005-06, which was the second-most wins in school history, and advanced to the first round of the Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT) after defeating Stony Brook in the preliminary round.

"Krista was the perfect fit for our program, having been a winner at every level of her coaching and playing career," stated Hayes.  "She has been an integral component in the recent success of the James Madison program and her recruiting ability, especially in the Metropolitan area, clearly made her stand out from the crowd.  We are very excited to welcome Krista and her husband, Chuck, to the Hofstra family."

Kilburn-Steveskey was a member of the James Madison staff for four years and coordinated the Dukes recruiting and scheduling, as well as assisting with all facets of the Dukes' program. She was instrumental in the recruitment of junior Tamera Young, who garnered All-CAA first team accolades after averaging 15.6 points, 9.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.3 steals per game in 2005-06. Her strong play earned her an invitation to the USA U20 Women's National Basketball Team Trials. She also helped recruit and develop junior Meredith Alexis, who ranked ninth in the NCAA in rebounding this past season and is already James Madison's career leader in rebounds with 930.

While at James Madison, Kilburn-Steveskey has been involved in the successful recruiting of three New York City players - Lesley Dickinson (Christ the King), Jasmin Lawrence (Francis Lewis) and Kisha Stokes (Bergtraum). Dickinson was the CAA Rookie of the Year in 2004, a three-time all-conference selection and is on pace to become JMU's all-time leading scorer.

In the last two seasons with Kilburn-Steveskey on the sidelines, James Madison has won a total of 42 games and advanced to the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Championship game this past season and to the semifinals in 2004-05.  The 42 wins are the most in back-to-back years for the Dukes since the program won 22 games in 1994-95 and 21 games the following season. 

This past year JMU went 24-7 and earned a bid to the WNIT.  The 24 wins were the program's most since a 26-win campaign in 1990-91 and it marked James Madison's first postseason appearance since the 2000-01 season.

Before taking her position at James Madison, Kilburn-Steveskey was a highly successful coach on the high school level, coaching the Wheeler High School girls' basketball team in Marietta, Georgia, from 1996 through 2002.

In her six seasons at Wheeler, Kilburn-Steveskey compiled a stellar 143-38 record (79% winning percentage) and won the 1998 AAAA state championship. She also led the team to a state quarterfinals appearance in 2001 and to the round of 16 in 1999 and 2000. Wheeler also won regional championships in 1998 and 2001.

Kilburn-Steveskey was named the 1998 Georgia AAAA Coach of the Year and also earned North Georgia, Cobb County and Marietta Daily Journal Coach of the Year that same year. She was the Region 6 AAAA Coach of the Year from 1997 through 2001 and was the recipient of the 1999 Paula Wandell Coach of the Year Award.

Prior to her tenure at Wheeler, Kilburn-Steveskey was the head girls' volleyball coach, the assistant girls' varsity basketball coach and the head junior varsity girls' basketball coach at Sandy Creek High School in Tyrone, Georgia, from 1992 to 1996.

Kilburn-Steveskey is a 1990 graduate of North Carolina State University in Raleigh, North Carolina, where she was a four-year letterwinner on the women's basketball team and served as team captain during her senior year. In her four years at NC State, the Wolfpack compiled an 83-37 record and advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 in 1987, 1989 and 1990. The 1990 squad posted a 25-6 record, won the regular season ACC championship and was ranked 11th in the nation by the Associated Press. Following her senior season, Kilburn-Steveskey received the prestigious North Carolina State University Alumni Association Athlete of the Year Award.

Following her collegiate career at North Carolina State, Kilburn-Steveskey was a member of USA Basketball's Women's R. William Jones Cup squad that competed in Taipei, Taiwan, in the summer of 1990.

Kilburn-Steveskey, who holds a degree in speech communication from NC State, earned her Master of Education with a concentration in special education from the State University of West Georgia in Carrollton, Georgia, in 1996.

A standout at Fayette County High School in Fayetteville, Georgia, Kilburn-Steveskey was inducted into the school's hall of fame in 1999.

*WHAT THEY'RE SAYING ABOUT KRISTA KILBURN-STEVESKEY*

"If she has as much enthusiasm as when she played at NC State, then she is going to do great things.  She has a great passion for the game and has done very well as a high school coach and as an assistant coach at the college level. I feel like she is ready to take the reins of a collegiate program. I'm very happy for her. She has been a great representative of NC State and I'm sure that she will be a great representative of Hofstra University as well."

Kay Yow, legendary North Carolina State University Head Coach

"Krista is one of the bright, young assistant coaches who has all the makings of a successful head coach. I look forward to her continuing to build on the recent success of the Hofstra program."

Tom Yeager, Colonial Athletic Association Commissioner

"I'm very excited for Krista and her husband, Chuck, for the opportunity to be the head coach at Hofstra.  Krista has worked very hard to achieve this goal, and with her infectious personality and knowledge she will make a positive impact at Hofstra.  She will be missed at JMU."

Kenny Brooks, James Madison University Head Coach

"Krista is an excellent choice to continue to move the Hofstra program forward.  Having played for a Hall of Fame coach in Kay Yow at North Carolina State, and having been associated with James Madison, one of the long-time programs committed to excellence in women's athletics, Krista will bring a great work ethic and also existing familiarity with the competition in the Colonial Athletic Association.  It's a great catch for the Hofstra community. Look for her to continue to apply a capital "P" to the Pride program."

Mel Greenberg, award-winning Philadelphia Inquirer sportswriter

"Krista has been a sensational coach at every level. She is smart, passionate and a great teacher of the game.  Hofstra has shown a great ability to hire talented, young coaches. Krista Kilburn-Steveskey will make an impact at Hofstra with her passionate, hard-nosed coaching style. In addition, her ability to mold talent, rally up the fan base and promote women's basketball will help Hofstra continue their upward climb in the Colonial Athletic Association."

Carol Ross, University of Mississippi Head Coach

"Krista is a wonderful choice for Hofstra. She was competitive as a student-athlete at NC State, and that same competitive fire followed her into coaching. She is an exceptional role model and will continue the recent Hofstra basketball success and lead the team to the next level. Krista is not only a coach on the court but off the court as well, and she will teach the students about life, not just the X's and O's. Great hire!!!"

Agnus Berenato, University of Pittsburgh Head Coach

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