Hempstead, NY - Hofstra University Head Women's Basketball Coach Krista Kilburn-Steveskey today announced the appointment of Bill Ferrara and Tanika Price to the positions of assistant coach. Ferrara and Price replace Danielle Santos and Faisal Khan. Santos departed to take the top assistant coach position at Illinois State University and Khan left to pursue interests outside of basketball.
Ferrara joins the Pride after serving as an assistant coach at Central Michigan University in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, since May 2007. While a member of the Chippewas staff, Ferrara had a hand in many different aspects of the program as he served as the recruiting coordinator, oversaw scheduling and was in charge of offensive strategies.
"I was introduced to Bill through Danielle Santos and when the position became available he was the person I wanted to pursue," commented Kilburn-Steveskey. "Bill's passion and desire is most evident upon meeting him and he has proven to be a great recruiter during his time at Central Michigan. With the departure of such an exceptional assistant coach in Danielle, the team needed someone to help propel this team towards a championship level and I feel Bill was the best person for our program."
Offensively, CMU has ranked in the top 40 in the nation in each of the last two seasons in scoring, reaching fourth during the 2008-09 campaign when it averaged 78.3 points per outing. The Chippewas also sank a school record 255 three-pointers in 2008-09, shattering the old mark of 189 (2007-08).
Ferrara oversaw CMU's out of conference scheduling that saw the team take on teams from the Southeastern, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten and Atlantic Coast conferences. On December 2, 2009, Central Michigan defeated #25 (ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll) Louisville, 84-75, to highlight the non-conference portion of the schedule.
Ferrara also had a hand in many other areas of the CMU women's basketball program as he worked directly with the perimeter players, served as the marketing coordinator for the team and was in charge of special late-game situations.
Ferrara, who also has worked at Auburn University, the University of Florida and for the Washington Mystics (WNBA) and for the Charlotte Bobcats (NBA), graduated from Florida in 2003 with a degree in business management. He earned his master's degree in sport management from Florida in 2005.
Price, a native of Brooklyn, New York, arrives in Hempstead after being a member of the University of Hartford women's basketball staff since August 2006. A part of one of the most successful mid-major women's basketball teams nationally, Price was an integral piece of four straight postseason appearances as an assistant coach. This past season the Hawks qualified for the NCAA Tournament where they faced Louisiana State University in the first round. In 2007-08 Hartford advanced to the second round of the NCAA Championship, falling to Texas A&M University.
"With the goal of taking this program to the next level, Tanika Price's name came up as a possible candidate for a position and it was a home run," stated Kilburn-Steveskey. "Tanika has taken part in all levels of developing a program as a player and as a coach during her time at Hartford. I feel Tanika has a vision that surpasses most young coaches in this business and I am pleased that she will be bringing that championship pedigree and attitude to the Hofstra Women's Basketball team."
Price assisted in all aspects of the Hartford program including opponent scouting and defensive strategies, as well as practice planning and execution.
Since 2008 Price has also served as Summer Consultant Coach for WNBA Enterprises, LLC, working on live scouting of opponents versus the Connecticut Sun (WNBA).
Price majored in criminal justice/pre-law and minored in sociology and communications at Hartford, where she graduated from in 2005. A member of the women's basketball team as a undergraduate, Price was part of two NCAA Tournament teams and in her senior season she finished second on the team in rebounding and started all 31 games.
