The Ursuline College Athletic Department has announced the hiring of Bet Naumovski as the Head Women's Basketball Coach. 

A highly accomplished coach with extensive experience at the NCAA, U SPORTS, Canada Basketball, and grassroots levels, Naumovski brings a proven record of program development, player development, championship success, and leadership to the Ursuline women's basketball program. 

"I'd like to thank Ms. Knight and everyone at Ursuline College for this incredible opportunity," Naumovski said. "I'm thrilled to join the Ursuline community and I'm honored to lead the women's basketball program into this next chapter. 

Naumovski continued, "Ursuline has so much of what today's students and their families are looking for — a warm family environment, a diverse and inclusive community, an affordable and high-quality education, outstanding academic programs, and faculty and staff who truly care about the success and well-being of their students. That combination makes Ursuline a very special place." 

During her time at Queens College, Naumovski led the program through a nationally ranked turnaround in her first two seasons and established the Knights as one of the top programs in the East Coast Conference. She guided Queens to four consecutive 20-win seasons, three NCAA Tournament appearances in 2015, 2016 and 2017, two ECC Championships, and the 2017 ECC regular-season championship. 

The 2017 season was particularly historic, as Queens captured the NCAA East Region Championship and earned the program's first national ranking of the Division II era. Naumovski was named ECC Coach of the Year twice, in 2013 and 2017, and was also selected as the Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association Division II Coach of the Year in 2017. 

Her teams also produced significant individual success. During her tenure, she developed a National Player of the Year, three NCAA Statistical Champions, and numerous All-Region and All-Conference selections. Queens also produced more ECC Rookie of the Year award winners than any other ECC program during her tenure. She led the Knights to the program's first victory over a Division I opponent, defeating Fairleigh Dickinson University. 

Beyond her work on the court, Naumovski has been actively involved in collegiate basketball leadership. Her service has included the NCAA Regional Ranking Advisory Committee, WBCA All-America Team Selection Committee, WBCA Coach-to-Coach Mentor program, WBCA/USA Today Coaches Poll Top 25 Committee, and WBCA Conference Captain. 

Before her time at Queens, Naumovski served as an assistant coach and defensive coordinator at Binghamton University, where she was responsible for the development of Erica Carter, who went on to rank among the top 10 players in Division I in three-point shooting. 

Naumovski also brings seven years of coaching experience within the Canadian university system, including stops at the University of Toronto, the University of Guelph and York University. During her four years at the University of Toronto, she worked under Canadian Basketball Hall of Fame coach Michele Belanger. The program won a conference championship, earned a national ranking, and competed in the national tournament. 

Her experience with elite player development extends to Canada Basketball and Basketball Ontario, where she coached within the high-performance development system and worked with some of Ontario's top players. She served as the Head Coach of the U17 Provincial Team, leading the team to victories over two established university programs in a preseason tournament, including the defending OUA conference champion. 

She also served as an Associate Coach with Canada Basketball's Centre for Performance, working with players in the national development pool. Many of those athletes went on to represent Canada at the junior and senior national levels, while others continued their careers at NCAA Division I programs. 

In addition to her collegiate and national-team experience, Naumovski served as Program Director for the Mississauga Monarchs Basketball Association, providing senior leadership for one of Ontario's largest basketball clubs, serving more than 2,000 players and 200 coaches. 

She is also the owner and operator of Court Vision, a business focused on expanding opportunities for girls in basketball throughout Ontario. Through Court Vision, she has organized NCAA-certified exposure events and development opportunities designed to help young athletes advance their playing careers. 

"Bet brings an extraordinary depth of experience to Ursuline College, and we are excited to welcome her to the Arrows family, said Athletic Director Cindy McKnight. "Her background includes success at the NCAA level, championship experience, and a demonstrated commitment to helping student-athletes grow both on and off the court." 

McKnight added, "What stood out to us is not only what Bet has accomplished, but the breadth of her experience. She has built programs, developed elite players, worked with national development programs, and served in leadership roles across collegiate basketball. We believe that experience will be invaluable as we continue to build the future of Ursuline women's basketball." 

"Just as importantly, Bet understands that a college basketball program is about much more than wins and losses," McKnight continued. "She understands the importance of academics, relationships, and creating a positive experience for student-athletes. We are excited about the leadership and vision she will bring to Ursuline." 

Naumovski's academic background is equally distinguished. She holds a Master's degree in Kinesiology of Coaching and is a Chartered Professional Coach (ChPC), the highest coaching designation in Canada. She is also a Level 4 Coach through the National Coaching Certification Program, a designation that qualifies coaches to work at the national level in Canada. 

She has furthered her professional development through participation in the NCAA Women Coaches Academy and Columbia University's Center for Coaching Excellence. 

A former collegiate student-athlete herself, Naumovski played basketball at York University, where she was recognized as an Academic All-Canadian. 

With championship experience, national-level player development, a commitment to women's basketball and a track record of building successful programs, Naumovski now begins the next chapter of her coaching career at Ursuline College. 

"I'm excited to build upon the foundation that is already here, invest in our student-athletes, and create a program that our entire Ursuline community can be proud of. I believe there is tremendous opportunity ahead, and I can't wait to get started. Arrows up!"