Menendez, Paluch Join Women’s Basketball Staff
(Hamilton, NY – July 1, 2014) Colgate head coach Nicci Hays Fort announced Monday the additions of assistants Katherine Menendez and Justin Paluch to her women’s basketball coaching staff.
Menendez comes to the Raiders after a four-year stint at Division III Emory, while Paluch is accepting his first full-time position after serving as a Michigan State graduate assistant the past two seasons.
“This is an exciting time for Colgate Women’s Basketball,” Hays Fort said. “Both Katherine and Justin are really great, quality people. They have very high energy and a passion for the game of women’s basketball.”
“Katherine has had a lot of assistant coaching experience with programs that advanced far in their national tournaments. Her communication skills are fantastic and will immediately help our program.
“Justin has been involved with some very high-level Division I women’s basketball programs, and he has seen what it takes for success.
“Both Katherine and Justin are tremendous fits for our program. They have tremendous character, integrity and a tireless work ethic that will assist our program in every area.
“We are very fortunate to have Katherine and Justin join Melissa and me on staff.”
Winning Tradition
Menendez in four seasons at the Atlanta school helped Emory to an overall record of 69-34 and a program-high No. 7 national ranking in 2014. The Eagles advanced to the NCAA Division III Sweet Sixteen in 2013 after winning the program’s first University Athletic Association championship.
Her duties at Emory included:
Primary post/forward position coach.
Created and ran individual workouts.
Edited team and individual film and ran postgame film sessions.
Co-directed camps.
Coordinated team community service.
Organized team film exchange.
Menendez also served as recruiting coordinator and organized all aspects of the recruiting process, including evaluations, correspondence, individual visits and larger-scale campus visit days.
Before Emory, Menendez for two seasons was the assistant coach at Division III Illinois Wesleyan in Bloomington, Ill. There, she helped the Titans to a two-year record of 58-3 and an NCAA Elite Eight appearance in 2009. Illinois Wesleyan claimed College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin championships both seasons.
Menendez was in charge of all facets of recruiting and worked with the post/forward position players. She also directed individual summer camps and the program’s WBCA “Pink Zone” efforts.
In addition to her duties at IWU, Menendez also served across town as a compliance graduate assistant for two seasons at Illinois State. There, she was in charge of the initial eligibility of prospective student-athletes and monitored official visits and NCAA-countable contact hours for every program.
On the court, the Geneseo, Illinois, native played four seasons in-state at North Central, a Division III program in Naperville. She served as team captain for the 2007-08 season and was a CCIW All-Academic selection for multiple seasons. Menendez received her B.A. in English and sport management from North Central in 2008 and her M.S. in sport management from Illinois State in 2010.
“I am truly thrilled to join Colgate University and this women’s basketball program,” Menendez said. “The culture here is one of excellence and positivity, and I couldn’t be more excited to work with Colgate’s outstanding student-athletes in such a great environment.
“The ability to work alongside Coach Hays Fort is truly special as I have long respected her recruiting, leadership and teaching abilities. She selflessly gives to the game of basketball and to those around her, and her passion is contagious. I look forward to working with this staff and with our student-athletes as we strive for excellence each day while representing Colgate University and all that it stands for.”
MSU-UConn Connection
Paluch joins the Colgate staff after serving as a graduate assistant at Michigan State for almost two years. He assisted the Spartans coaching staff with recruiting visits and was in charge of updating the team’s social media. Paluch acted as director of basketball operations for a tournament trip to San Juan, Puerto Rico, and also managed 14 of the teams’ managers on a daily basis.
Before Michigan State, Paluch acted as co-head student manager for one season at his alma mater, Connecticut. He was in charge of scheduling the managers and practice players for each day’s practice, as well as coordinating food orders and equipment during team travel.
He previously spent two years as a practice player for the Huskies women’s basketball program and then two years as a manager before his stint as co-head manager. Connecticut advanced to the Women’s Final Four all five seasons during Paluch’s association, and won the 2009 and 2010 national championships.
A native of Rocky Hill, Connecticut, Paluch in 2012 earned a B.S. in management information systems and a B.S. in sport management, both from Connecticut. He received his M.S. in sports administration from Michigan State in May 2014.
“I am humbled at the opportunity to coach at Colgate University and with Coach Hays Fort,” Paluch said. “Colgate is a university filled with great tradition, and it’s a dream come true to become a Raider.
“Coach Hays Fort is a great mentor and I am lucky to be working on the same sideline as her. I am eager for the season to begin and to see what this team can accomplish in the classroom and on the court. I want to thank Coach Hays Fort and the Colgate administration for the opportunity to join the women’s basketball program and work at such a great university.”