Lisa Cermignano (pronounced sir-min-YA-no), a former assistant coach at Illinois and Vanderbilt, a Hall of Fame player at George Washington and the 1992-93 New Jersey Gatorade State Player of the Year, was named head women’s basketball coach at Wagner College in April, 2012.
Cermignano coaches the entire "student-athlete," a fact dramatically driven home when the Seahawk women's basketball program was cited by the NCAA with public recognition awards in each of the last two years, scoring in the top 10 percent with respect to Academic Progress Rates (APR)
Entering her fourth season at Wagner in 2015-2016, Cermignano is in the process of building a program built largely on local recruits who are looking to take advantage of Wagner's vast academic offerings and compete for a Northeast Conference championship while also facing one of the top non-conference schedules in the nation.
In the past two seasons, the Seahawks have faced the like sof Maryland, Kentucky, Rutgers, Seton Hall, Pittsburgh and VCU, to name just a few.
"The best of the best play here on the East Coast and there is no reason why we have to leave New York, New Jersey, or the Philadelphia area to recruit great student-athletes," Cermignano intones. "As I've said since we arrived, I want to keep it local - I want to increase our fan support. We don't have to go any further to recruit, and attracting top players from the area will bring more people to the games."
In addition to spending three seasons at both Illinois and Vanderbilt, Cermignano’s 15 years as a Division I assistant coach include stops at George Washington, Monmouth and Maryland.
After leading George Washington to NCAA Tournament appearances all four years during her Hall of Fame playing career, Cermignano has been a part of the NCAA Tournament as a coach seven times. All told, she has been a member of 11 NCAA Tournament teams, including four Sweet 16’s (two as a player, two as a coach) and one Elite Eight (as a player).
Cermignano was born in Bryn Mawr, PA and raised in the Philadelphia suburb of Mantua Township, NJ. She was a prep star at Gloucester Catholic (NJ) where she scored 2,063 points in her high school career in setting the school's scoring record.
A 5-10 guard, Cermignano went on to lead George Washington to a 103-27 composite record and four straight NCAA Tournament appearances, including the program’s only Elite Eight appearance in 1997. Cermignano ranks 17th all-time in school history with 1,278 career points and is second with 270 three-pointers made.
“We are elated to bring Lisa aboard as our new head women’s basketball at Wagner College and welcome her to the Seahawk family and Staten Island community,” said Hameline at her introductory press conference. “She brings a wealth of expertise and an impressive blend of experiences to our program. Lisa has recruited and coached student-athletes at the highest level of college basketball in both the Big 10 and Southeastern Conference (SEC), at academically-renowned institutions in Illinois and Vanderbilt, and has successfully recruited the New York metropolitan area.
“She was a brilliant high school player in New Jersey and obviously an outstanding player at George Washington,” Hameline added. “To top it all off, she’s familiar with the Northeast Conference from her two seasons as an assistant at Monmouth. In our view, Lisa Cermignano is the total package.”
Before taking the reins of the Wagner program, Cermignano spent the previous three seasons as an assistant at Illinois where she held leadership roles in all facets of the women’s basketball program. During her time at Illinois, she was the Big 10 program’s recruiting coordinator, played a key role in the development and maturation of the Illini guards, worked prominently in the areas of team building and academic mentoring, while also preparing players’ scouting reports and personnel information for upcoming opponents.
“I think Wagner College is a beautiful place and a great opportunity for female student-athletes,” Cermignano says. “Everyone I met on my interview, everybody that’s a part of Wagner College and Wagner athletics, wants to win and create a winning tradition. And that excites me because that’s what I’ve been about. That’s what attracted me when I went to George Washington University as a player and all of my different steps as a coach.
"To get my first head coaching job back East, near my family, close to all of the people who are important to me, it’s like a dream come true," Cermignano added. "To me, it was a perfect fit. I just think everything about Wagner is a perfect fit.”
During her first season with the Fighting Illini in 2009-10, Cermignano helped guide the team to 19 wins and a trip to the WNIT quarterfinals. Cermignano then helped in the recruiting efforts that landed the Illini a pair of top-100 recruits in Alexis Burke and Centrese McGee.
Prior to her arrival at Illinois, Cermignano spent three seasons as an assistant coach at Vanderbilt, joining the Commodores in the summer of 2006 under head coach Melanie Balcomb. Cermignano served as the team's defensive coordinator, worked primarily with the guards and was also an essential part of Vanderbilt's recruiting efforts. In three seasons at Vanderbilt, she helped lead the Commodores to three NCAA Tournament appearances, including two Sweet 16s (2008 and `09) and two Southeastern Conference (SEC) tournament titles (2007 and `09).
Prior to her tenure at Vanderbilt, Cermignano spent five years as an assistant coach at George Washington, where she helped lead the team to four Atlantic 10 regular season championships and four NCAA Tournament appearances. Working alongside current Northwestern head coach Joe McKeown, she focused on team defense and developing the Colonials' perimeter players.
In 1997-1998, Cermignano began her coaching career as an assistant at Maryland. She moved on to Monmouth where she served as an assistant coach for two seasons before accepting the position with her alma mater, George Washington.
Cermignano attended and starred for George Washington from 1993-97, earning a bachelor's degree in criminal justice in 1997. As a player at GW, she was a three-year starter for a team that advanced to four consecutive NCAA Tournaments, making it to the NCAA Sweet 16 in 1995 and the Elite Eight in 1997. She served as the Colonials’ captain during her senior season and went on to earn College Player of the Year honors from the South Jersey Basketball Club.
The two-time All-Atlantic 10 Conference selection connected on 270 career three-pointers, second all-time at GW. Cermignano's protégé - Cathy Joens - surpassed her three-point record during the 2003-04 season.
On Feb. 9, 2008, Cermignano was inducted into the George Washington Athletic Hall of Fame.
