Five Assistants Added to Army’s Women's Basketball Staff
WEST POINT, N.Y. – Army West Point head women's basketball coach Missy Traversi announced the addition of five assistant coaches to her staff Wednesday morning.
Jenerrie Harris, Cristina Centeno, Gaddy Lefft, Tony DiClemente and Anthony Angotti will be joining the program as assistant basketball coaches. DiClemente and Angotti both previously worked under Traversi at Adelphi.
Jenerrie Harris, Assistant CoachJenerrie Harris brings over 15 years of coaching experience to West Point.
"Jenerrie has won at this level and at the academies," Traversi said. "Her Division I national recruiting experience coupled with her high energy and passion for people makes her a perfect fit for our staff. As a former Division I player and former Division I head coach, she will bring tremendous perspective to our players and our staff.”
Harris served as the head coach at UMass Lowell from 2014-18. Harris mentored three members who received All-America East honors: Shannon Samuels (second team, 2014-15), Lindsey Doucette (third team, 2015-16) and Kayla Gibbs (third team, 2016-17). Additionally, Doucette was named to the conference's all-defensive team in 2014-15 and Paula Lopez was tabbed to the all-rookie team in 2017-18.
Prior to her time at UMass Lowell, Harris served on Navy's coaching staff for five seasons. She was elevated to the role of associate head coach during the 2013-14 season after serving as an assistant for the previous four. She helped guide the Mids to winning seasons all five seasons that she was on the staff and to three NCAA Tournament berths.
Her previous positions include being an assistant coach at Wright State from 2006 to 2009 and Longwood from 2005 to 2006. At Wright State she helped recruit former Washington Mystics guard Shey Peddy.
"After spending 12 years growing up as an Army brat, it's a little surreal knowing that I have the great fortune to work with the future leaders of our country at the United States Military Academy," Harris said. "One thing that the Academy and athletics have in common is the process to embrace the opportunity to be a part of something bigger than yourself. The history of the program is rich and well-respected, and I am honored to be a part of the journey ahead. Needless to say, I am excited to join Coach Traversi, this staff and these young leaders in this new era of Army Women's Basketball.”
A native Muskegon, Mich., Harris was a four-year member of the women's basketball team at the University of Kentucky from 2000-04. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology in 2004.
She arrives in Highland Falls, N.Y., from Columbus, Ohio, with her two children Jayce (12) and Reign (9).
Cristina Centeno, Assistant CoachCristina Centeno arrives at the banks of the Hudson following a four year-stint at Appalachian State.
"Cristina is someone who I have watched rise through the coaching ranks for the past eight years," Traversi said. "She is an excellent teacher and a motivator. As someone with high energy and a love for the game, Cristina wants nothing more than to see the people around her, especially our cadet-athletes, succeed.”
In the 2018-19 season, Appalachian State had a record of 22-14 and was crowned the Women's Basketball Invitational Champions. The Mountaineers advanced to the semifinal round of the Sun Belt tournament in two of the last three seasons that she was part of the staff.
Centeno recruited and developed transfer Ashley Polacek, who averaged double figures both seasons she dressed for the program and was drafted to play professionally overseas. She also helped recruit Faith Alston, who averaged the most assists per game by a freshman in over 10 years.
Prior to her appointment at Appalachian State, she served as an assistant at Le Moyne College from 2013-17. The Dolphins earned a berth to the NE-10 tournament all four years she was a member of the staff. They additionally received invitations to the ECAC postseason tournament in 2014 and 2015.
Centeno helped with the development of freshman McKayla Roberts, who averaged 11.2 points per game en route to being named the Northeast-10 Rookie of the Year. Also, Centeno assisted in the development of Vandell Andrade, who was named Northeast-10 Conference Defensive Player of the Year, second-team all-conference and 2016 WBCA Division II All-American Honorable Mention. In 2016-17, Centeno helped the Dolphins reach the Northeast-10 Conference Semifinals for the second time in 21 seasons.
Centeno was selected fourth overall by the Quebradillas Pirates in the 2012 Draft of Puerto Rico's Baloncesto Superior Nacional Femenino (BSNF). During the 2012 season, Centeno averaged 11.8 points (3rd on the team), 5.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and a team-best 1.8 steals to earn BSNF Rookie of the Year accolades, while guiding the Pirates to the regular season championship and a spot in the BSNF championship game.
A starter all four years at Siena, Centeno enjoyed a decorated career where she is 10th all-time in school history with 343 assists. She is just one of only 13 players in the history of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference to record career totals of at least 900 points, 400 rebounds, 300 assists, 100 steals and 100 3-pointers.
Centeno graduated from Siena in 2012 with a Bachelor of Science in Business Management.
"I am extremely grateful to become part of the Army family," Centeno said. "With my dad serving in the Army and West Point being the world's preeminent leadership institution with a great history of Duty, Honor, and Country, it will be a tremendous privilege to wear Army across my chest every day. I believe in Coach Traversi's vision for our cadet-athletes and this program, and I could not be more excited to get to work.”
A native of Belleville, N.J., she resides in Highland Falls, N.Y.
Gaddy Lefft, Assistant Coach
Gadson "Gaddy" Lefft arrives at the banks of the Hudson following spending the 2020-21 season as a student assistant coach at the University of Maine.
"Coming from the University of Maine, Gaddy brings experience from a championship culture with championship habits," Traversi said. "She has a versatile skill set which will help her dive into whatever is needed for the program to be successful. I look forward to watching Gaddy grow with us here at Army.”
Recently, Lefft and the Black Bears posted a record of 17-3 and advanced to the America East conference championship game.
She also served as an assistant for the Maine Athletics compliance department.
Before attending UMaine, Lefft spent three seasons at the University of Delaware where she appeared in 20 games with two starts during her senior year. While at Delaware, she earned two selections to the Colonial Athletic Association Academic Honor Roll. Lefft recorded a career-high 15 points at Delaware State and tallied a season-best eight rebounds against Lafayette.
She began her collegiate career at Clemson where she competed in 21 games for the Tigers, again leading her team with a 46.3 field goal percentage.
In March of 2021, Lefft participated in the NCAA Emerging Leaders Seminar in Indianapolis.
Lefft earned a Bachelor of Arts in History with a minor in political science from Delaware in 2019. She attained a Master of Arts in Global Policy from the University of Maine Orono in 2021.
"I look forward to contributing to the growth of our cadet-athletes both on and off the court. I am thankful to Coach Traversi for allowing me to be a part of helping to build an exceptional women's basketball program at an extraordinary institution.”
A native of Lake Wylie, S.C., she currently resides in Highland Falls, N.Y.
Tony DiClemente, Assistant Coach
Tony DiClemente joins the Army staff after serving the last four seasons as an assistant at Adelphi.
"In a short time, Tony has proven his ability to transform defenses into national powerhouses," Traversi said. "I believe his work ethic and preparation can bring that same dominance to Army West Point.”
In addition to coaching six NE-10 All-Conference selections in his short tenure at Adelphi, DiClemente helped guide the Panthers to one of their best seasons in program history in 2019-20.
That historic year saw the Panthers open the season on a 16-game winning streak, en route to finishing the year at 27-3 overall and capturing an NE-10 Southwest Division regular-season title. The Panthers outscored their opposition by an overwhelming average of 17.4 points per game and limited teams to the third-lowest three-point field-goal percentage (.250) in all of Division II.
Adelphi, which ranked as high as No. 8 in the WBCA Division II Poll, earned the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Division II East Region Championship, but the prevailing COVID-19 crisis canceled the tournament before it began.
DiClemente is a 2017 graduate of Stony Brook University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Marketing. He was a practice player with the Seawolves' women's basketball team as an undergraduate. He also attained a Master of Science in Sport Management from Adelphi in 2019.
Having volunteered in CYO basketball in his community, DiClemente spent four years as a junior counselor with the Willow Road Elementary School Summer Recreation Program as a native of Franklin Square, N.Y.
"Between the place, the people, and the history, there are countless reasons why West Point is so special," DiClemente said. "I am elated to be able to work side-by-side with some of our country's greatest leaders. While I am fortunate enough to be in a position to grow and develop these cadet-athletes, I am just as eager to learn from them.”
He resides in Highland Falls, N.Y.
Anthony Angotti, Assistant Coach
Anthony Angotti joins the Army women's basketball staff after spending the past three seasons as an assistant at Adelphi. He will oversee the team's analytics.
"Anthony's level of commitment and attention to detail is second to none and he will do whatever it takes to make this program better," Traversi said. "We have worked together for three seasons and his consistency is unmatched.”
He coached in various AAU and youth basketball organizations and has developed and taught basketball clinics designed to enhance basketball fundamentals.
Additionally, Angotti has been a quality assurance reviewer for Championship Productions basketball videos since 2015.
Prior to embarking into basketball, Angotti was an assistant golf professional and teaching pro, and owned and operated his own golf teaching facilities.
A 1990 graduate of Saint John's University with a degree in accounting, Angotti received his New York state basketball coaching certification in 2016 from SUNY Cortland, and earned an associate's degree in golf complex operations and management from The Golf Academy of the South in 1996.
"It's truly an honor to be a member of the West Point women's basketball program," Angotti said. "To be surrounded by dedicated young women who will become future leaders is inspiring to me. I'm so honored to be a part of this great military academy.”
He currently resides in Woodbury, N.Y.