Valiant's Women's Hoops Coach Takes Job at Yale

The good ones don't usually stay very long at smaller basketball programs.

But that's perfectly fine with Manhattanville Athletic Director Keith Levinthal, who wished women's basketball coach Lauren Thomer the best of luck while announcing the coach will leave the program to take a top assistant job at Division I Yale University.

"When I hire coaches like Lauren, I do so knowing that talented people like her are eventually going to move on,” Levinthal said in a statement. “It has been our department philosophy to bring in young, skilled coaches and allow them to develop their crafts toward moving up the professional ranks. Lauren certainly did that here and for the last three years our basketball program was the beneficiary.”

Under Thomer's leadership the Valiants had one of the best three-year runs in program history, going 45-32 with a pair of regular season first place finishes in the Freedom Conference—a first for the program.

Thomer was also named Freedom Conference coach of the year in her first season, posting a record of 19-8 (12-2 Freedom Conference). Her 45 wins at the helm are good enough for third-best in program history in only three years.

"I am forever grateful for the opportunity Keith gave me to lead this program over the past three years,” Thomer said in a statement. “It has been a great journey and learning experience. It's a bittersweet time and never easy to say goodbye, but I wish our players all the best, thank them for their efforts, and congratulate them on all of their accomplishments. I feel confident that this team will continue to grow and experience great success next season.”

Manhattanville also defeated a ranked team for the first time since 1982 under Thomer's leadership. 

She will join a staff at Yale that guided last year's team to a 16-12 record. The team qualified for the women's National Invitation Tournament only two years ago. 

“Lauren's passion for the game and the coaching profession will be missed," Levinthal stated. "But we wish her nothing but the best as she embarks on the next stage of her career.”

Levinthal said the search for a permanent women's head coach will begin immediately.