WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – William & Mary women's basketball head coach
Ed Swanson announced the hiring of
Michelle Kurowski as the director of basketball operations on Monday afternoon. Kurowski joins the Tribe after working as an elementary school teacher in Long Island, N.Y. for the last four years.
"We are excited that Michelle has decided to join our program," Swanson said. "She was a great player at UMBC and was able to continue her career professionally overseas. She has a great knowledge of the game, and is enthusiastic to get work in the coaching profession. We are looking forward to her beginning her career in college basketball with the Tribe."
Along with her teaching career, Kurowski served as an assistant coach for the girl's basketball team at St. Dominic. She also served as the head volleyball coach and assistant coach for the lacrosse team at St. Dominic during her time there.
"I am so excited to join the Tribe as the director of basketball operations," Kurowski. "I am eager to help Coach Swanson and his staff be successful in any way possible. I know that I will learn so much from the staff and am looking forward to beginning my career in college basketball with such a prestigious institution and program."
Kurowski served as the volunteer assistant at her alma mater, UMBC, during the 2013-14 season, and has also honed her basketball coaching skills at numerous camps and with club teams. She has worked with the Long Island Nets (2017), ProHoops (2008-18), and worked as a coach with Huntingtower School in Melbourne, Australia and Ringwood Hawks Australia U14 team, while she was playing in Australia.
She played four years of college basketball at UMBC, helping guide the Retrievers to 64 wins during her career, and a berth in the 2011 WNIT. She graduated as the school's leader in games played (124) and games started (118), while being UMBC's second-leading scorer with 1,690 points and 10th leading rebounder with 663 boards. She ranks in the top-10 in UMBC history in 15 career stat categories.
A decorated player, she was named to the All-America East Second Team in 2012, after receiving All-America East First-Team honors in 2011, and an America East All-Rookie team citation in 2009. She also received numerous awards for her work in the classroom, including being named a Lowe's Senior CLASS Award finalist (2012), Division I-AAA Athletics Directors Association Scholar team (2012), Capital One Academic All-District First-Team (2012), and America East All-Academic Team (2012).
Following her collegiate career, Kurowski went onto to play two seasons of professional basketball overseas. She played for La Grenache in France during the 2012-13 season, and the Ringwood Hawks in Melbourne, Australia during the 2014 season.
Kurowski earned her bachelor's degree from UMBC in psychology in 2011, before going on to earn her master's degree in early childhood education in 2013.
