Assistant coaches coming, going at Bryant basketball
Two coaching staff moves at Bryant University highlighted the state’s college basketball news last week, with no new incoming or outgoing player commitments via the transfer portal.
Bruce Shingler leaving the men and Abby Vampatella joining the women helps reshape both benches for the Bulldogs. Smithfield will be looking for progress in 2026-27 with Jamion Christian settling into his second season and Lynne-Ann Kokoski looking to reverse what was a struggle down the stretch last year.
We’re roughly a month removed from the close of the portal on both the men’s and women’s sides. Coaching changes and NCAA waivers are the lone exceptions at this point. The 15-day windows after the national championship games, the constant shuffling that’s taken place throughout the spring – the majority of those developments are in the rearview mirror entering the summer.
Players generally would like to settle their respective futures before offseason workouts begin, but finding a fit – the right relationship, potential role and an agreements on name, image and likeness rights – is a two-way street.
Here’s a look at the action from last week.
Bryant men's assistant heads to Southeastern Louisiana
Assistant coach Bruce Shingler will leave the Bryant men after one season, hired away by Southeastern Louisiana as an associate head coach.
The Lions announced the hiring in a statement, as Shingler reunites with head coach David Kiefer after previous time together at Kansas State. Shingler will add Southeastern Louisiana to stops with the Bulldogs, Maryland, South Carolina, Towson, Morgan State and the Wildcats.
“He has coached at the highest levels of college basketball, worked with NBA players, overseas professionals and elite-level talent throughout his career,” Kiefer said in a statement. “What really separates Bruce is his ability to connect with people. Our players are going to greatly benefit from his ability to teach, mentor, and build trust every single day.”
Shingler will work with some familiar faces on the roster in 2026-27. Quincy Allen, Gio Sanford and Ashley Sims II all announced commitments to the Lions out of the transfer portal after spending 2025-26 with Bryant. Allen is a former four-star prospect making his fifth college stop and Sims showed promise as a freshman frontcourt player with the Bulldogs.
Shingler is the third departure from Bryant this offseason, joining Brian Merritt and Derrick Wall. Harley Fuller continues as associate head coach, Morgan Williams remains a defensive assistant and Marc Rybczyk is in charge of player development and advanced scouting.
Bryant women's team adds new assistant
Abby Vampatella will join the Bryant women as an assistant coach, hired away from a previous role as assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Niagara after one season.
The Bulldogs made the announcement in a statement, adding Vampatella to a staff under Lynne-Ann Kokoski that also includes assistant coach Michael Murphy, assistant coach/recruiting coordinator Devin Hill and assistant coach/director of basketball operations Reilly Howard.
“Throughout our conversations, she showed she is a brilliant young mind in our game and that she is eager to continue to learn,” Kokoski said in a statement. “Most importantly, her values align with our culture, and she supports our mission to compete for championships in the America East.”
Vampatella joined the Purple Eagle from UNC Greensboro, where she spent four years in roles as director of recruiting, director of player development and graduate manager. The Spartans reached an NCAA Tournament in 2025 partly thanks to a top-5 national scoring defense.
Vampatella is a Connecticut native who played in the Division III ranks at Gordon College (Mass.) and graduated in 2021. She served as vice president of the school’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee before joining the college coaching ranks.
On X: @BillKoch25
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Bryant basketball teams gaining, losing assistant coaches
What's Your Reaction?
like
0
dislike
0
love
0
funny
0
angry
0
sad
0
wow
0
