Jennifer Rizzotti
Title	Head coach
College	Hartford
Sport	Basketball
Place of birth	White Plains, NY, United States
Career highlights
Championships
NCAA National Championship as a player (1995) America East Championship as a coach (2002,2005,2006,2008) America East Regular Season Title (2006, 2007,2008)
Awards
America East Coach of the Year (2006,2007) Honda-Broderick Cup (1995-96) 1996 Associated Press Player of the Year
Playing career
1993-1996	Connecticut
Position	Point Guard
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1999–	Hartford

Jennifer Rizzotti (born May 15, 1974 in White Plains, New York) is a retired American collegiate and professional basketball player, and current Division I coach. She is the daughter of Tom Rizzotti and Carol Rizzotti.^[1]

[edit] College

From 1992-1996, she starred on the women's basketball team at the University of Connecticut. She was the starting point guard on the Huskies first national championship team in 1995, which recorded a perfect season, winning all 35 games. Rizzotti's picture was on the cover of Sport's Illustrated magazine in recognition of the perfect season.^[2] Jen was awarded the prestigious Honda-Broderick Cup for 1995-96, presented to the athlete "most deserving of recognition as the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year".^[3] She was named the 1996 Associated Press Player of the Year.^[4] Rizzotti was a member of the inaugural class of inductees to the University of Connecticut women's basketball "Huskies of Honor" recognition program.^[5] Rizzotti won the Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award during the 1995-96 basketball season.^[6] This award is given to the best women's basketball player in the country under 5'6' tall. During the 1995-96 season Jennifer set school records for assists with 212 and steals with 112. Jennifer graduated with a degree in biology

[edit] Professional

She began her career as a professional basketball player playing for the New England Blizzard, of the now defunct American Basketball League. during that time she was a 2-time All-Star^[7], Rizzotti was a member of the Houston Comets after being drafted in 1999^[8], and played for the Comets in 1999 and 2000. The Comets won the League Championship both seasons.^[9] In 2001 she was traded to the Detroit Shock, but a month later, she was traded to the Cleveland Rockers.^[9] She played for the Cleveland Rockers from 2001-2003. Rizzotti was selected in the dispersal draft by the Detroit Shock in January of 2004, but she retired from the WNBA.^[9]

[edit] Coaching

Rizzotti is currently in her 11th season as the head women's basketball coach at the University of Hartford, where she has led the Hawks to four America East Conference championships and four trips to the NCAA Tournament. She was named America East Coach of the Year in the 2006 and 2007 seasons^[10].

She grew up in New Fairfield, Connecticut and graduated from New Fairfield High School in 1992.^[1]

Rizzotti was inducted into the Connecticut Women's Basketball Hall Of Fame in 2001.^[9][11]

Rizzotti married University of Hartford assistant, Bill Sullivan in July 1999. The two welcomed their first child on April 16, 2005. His name is Holden Thomas Sullivan. The couple's second child, Conor, was born on July 8, 2008.

[edit] University of Connecticut statistics

[edit] Head coaching record

[edit] Notes

[edit] References

• David L. Porter, ed (2005). Basketball: A Biographical Dictionary. Greenwood Press. ISBN 978-0313309526. 

[edit] External links

• University of Hartford coaching profile
• WNBA player profile