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Jill M. Pizzotti

Position: Assistant Coach Experience: 2nd Season Twitter: @coachpizzotti

Jill M. Pizzotti, a Lombard, Ill. native, returns home with nearly two decades of experience in women's basketball - as a head coach, assistant coach, student-athlete and also in the women's basketball division at Nike. Pizzotti is in her second season with the Blue Demons and serve as the Blue Demons' recruiting coordinator while also assisting with the day-to-day operations of the basketball office.

"Jill has had major impact on every Division I program that she has served as either an assistant or head coach," Bruno added. "Going head-to-head with Jill's Saint Louis program was a monumental task for every coach in the first ten years of Conference USA."

In her first year with the Blue Demons, DePaul reached the NCAA Tourament and recored 23 wins. She helped mentor three all-BIG EAST Conference selections while Anna Martin led the BIG EAST in scoring. Off the court, DePaul recorded the thrid-best team GPA in the country and earned the BIG EAST Team Academic Award for the third consecutive year.

Pizzotti spent the 2010-11 season at West Virginia and helped the Mountaineers to a school-best, 24-10 record and to the NCAA Tournament. As the recruiting coordinator she helped WVU to the 13th best recruiting class in the nation. Pizzotti joined the Mountaineer staff in 2010 after serving the previous five years as the manager for women's basketball at Nike.

Beginning in 2005, Pizzotti was the liaison between Nike and 90 percent of the top 25 women's basketball programs, the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) and USA Basketball.

Prior to joining Nike, Pizzotti was the second-winningest women's basketball coach in Saint Louis University history and guided the program to its first-ever postseason tournament appearance in the 2003 WNIT. Pizzotti was at the helm of the Billiken program from 1996-05 where she recorded double-digit wins in seven consecutive seasons. She tutored nine all-conference performers as well as the C-USA Freshman of the Year in 1996.

Pizzotti's team won the C-USA Academic Achievement Award for the highest GPA in five seasons while over 50 student-athletes were named to the C-USA Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll. Her 2001 team was ranked No. 8 in the country in the WBCA Team Academic Poll while her 1999 team ranked No. 23. During her tenure at SLU, 10 of her student-athlete were named Arthur Ashe Scholar-Athlete Award winners.

Pizzotti also made coaching stops at Indiana University as an assistant coach from 1992-95. She was also an assistant at Northern Kentucky (1991-92) and her alma mater Southeast Missouri State from 1989-91.

She has served on numerous committees during her career including: the iHoops Advisory Committee (2010); the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame Board of Directors (2009); secretary of the Executive Committee of the Kay Yow Foundation (2009); Conference USA Women's Basketball Issues Committee (2002-04); District V WBCA Coach of the Year Award Committee (2001, 2002); Chair of Conference USA Women's Basketball Coaches (2001, 2004); WBCA Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award Committee Member (1999, 2000); and the St. Louis Athletic Advisory Committee (1997-2000).

Pizzotti received both her bachelors and masters degrees from Southeast Missouri State. She finished her bachelors degree in mathematics and physical education in 1989 and completed her masters in secondary education/administration supervision in 1991.

While completing her undergraduate education, Pizzotti helped Southeast Missouri State to four consecutive MIAA Conference Championships and to the Division II NCAA Tournament. Pizzotti was a two-time captain while winning the team's Most Inspirational Player Award. She also earned SEMO's Trombetta Award which honors the graduating senior with the highest GPA.

A graduate of Willowbrook High School in Villa Park, Ill., Pizzotti was inducted into her high school's inaugural Athletic Hall of Fame in 2010.