Jen Rizzotti, the USA Basketball National Coach of the Year, shares a laugh with U-19 team member and UConn sophomore Stefanie Dolson during the medal ceremony.



Former UConn star and current University of Hartford coach Jen Rizzotti has been named the 2011 USA Basketball National Coach of the Year after leading the United States to the gold medal at the 2011 FIBA U19 World Championship for Women.

“It is an honor to be named the USA Basketball National Coach of the Year,” Rizzotti said. “I had a great group of players and an extremely hard working staff that deserves equal credit. Our players worked really hard in a short amount of time to become not just the best players, but the best team in the U19 Championship.  Joi Williams and Sue Semrau, my assistants, worked tirelessly to prepare for our opponents and help me keep perspective and balance throughout the tournament.

The U.S. won by an average of 16.6 points per game in the tournament while limited their opponents to 33.2 percent shooting from the floor.

Among her players were UConn's Stefanie Dolson, Bria Hartley and Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis as well as UConn commits Breanna Stewart and Morgan Tuck and UConn recruiting target Diamond DeShields.

“I liked playing for coach Rizzotti because she was always intense and into the games, and even in practice she was intense,” Stewart said. “I think she wanted to get the best out of us in the little time that we had together, and I really enjoyed playing for her.”