From University of Chicago Athletics
Illinois Institute of Technology announced on Wednesday that Carissa Sain has been hired as the new Head Women's Basketball Coach for the Scarlet Hawks.
Sain served on the University of Chicago women's basketball coaching staff for the past 12 seasons. She concluded her eighth year as head coach of the Maroons in 2019-20.
"Coaching at the University of Chicago has been a life-changing experience," Sain said. "It doesn't feel like there is enough gratitude in the world to express how thankful I am for my time at UChicago. From cherished colleagues and friends to the student-athletes who were the highlight of my day-to-day – all have made an incredible impact on me and my family. This will always be an experience that is near and dear to my heart."
Since her arrival on the Hyde Park campus, UChicago women's basketball reached new heights as a program. During her four years as an assistant coach, the Maroons captured a pair of undefeated University Athletic Association (UAA) titles with three-straight appearances in the NCAA Division III Tournament. Two Maroons were named UAA Players of the Year, including 2012 Jostens Trophy winner Taylor Simpson.
Sain took over head coaching duties in the 2012-13 season and proceeded to post a cumulative record of 139-68 for a .671 winning percentage. She ranks second in program history in both wins and winning percentage. Her teams won three more UAA titles and qualified for the NCAA postseason four years in-a-row (2017-20).
Sain's success at the conference level was recognized with four UAA Coaching Staff of the Year awards over the past six seasons. During that time, five of her players reached 1,000 career points while accumulating four All-American honors and nine All-Region recognitions. She was also selected as the D3hoops.com Central Region Coach of the Year in 2017 and 2018.
In the 2019-20 season, UChicago posted a 21-6 overall record, won the UAA title and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Taylor Lake, Mia Farrell and Miranda Burt all surpassed 1,000 career points over the course of the year. Lake earned UAA Player of the Year honors and also received All-American accolades from D3hoops.com and the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA).
UChicago will conduct a national search to fill the women's basketball head coach position.