Rhode Island's Tammi Reiss named Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year

Atlantic 10 women’s basketball honors rolled in by the handful Tuesday afternoon for the University of Rhode Island. 

Tammi Reiss was named Coach of the Year and Vanessa Harris was named Sixth Woman of the Year, a pair of major awards for the Rams announced March 3 after earning a share of their second conference regular-season title in program history. 

URI also put one player on each of the all-conference teams. Brooklyn Gray was named to the first, Sophia Vital to the second and Palmire Mbu to the third. Harris earned a spot on the all-rookie team, Ines Debroise claimed a place on the all-defensive team and Gray was selected to the all-academic team. 

It’s the third league coaching honor for Reiss in seven seasons with the Rams, and it comes after adding a couple more chapters to program record books. URI had never finished 16-2 in league play prior to 2025-26, matching George Mason for the top spot. The Rams are also one victory shy of matching the program-record 26 wins they collected in 2022-23, sitting at 25-4 overall. 

“You really have to soak it in and enjoy it,” Reiss said after a 72-48 win over George Washington on Saturday at the Ryan Center. “You look back, and that’s where all that hard work is worth it.” 

Reiss was also named the league’s top coach in 2020-21 and 2022-23. The season in between saw Reiss sign an unprecedented 10-year extension with URI, one that would have initially kept her with the Rams through the 2031-32 campaign. Reiss has triggered a third one-year extension in that initial agreement by winning 20 games for the third time in the first five seasons – her contract now runs through 2034-35. 

“The last two games we’ve had our best crowds, and it was unbelievable,” Reiss said. “That’s Rhody Nation. That’s the school. I talk about it all the time – the pride, the school spirit.” 

Reiss was named to the Naismith Women’s College Coach of the Year watch list last month, one of just two mid-major coaches among the last 15. Princeton coach Carla Berube joined Reiss in a group that also includes Connecticut’s Geno Auriemma, South Carolina’s Dawn Staley and LSU’s Kim Mulkey. The winner will be announced ahead of next month’s Final Four in Phoenix. 

Reiss has added $10,000 in performance bonuses to her base salary of $425,000, and that number could rise with a conference tournament championship, another WNIT appearance and an NCAA Tournament berth. Her buyout should other programs decide to come calling currently sits at $900,000 – an annual $100,000 over the remaining life of her contract. 

Harris has made an immediate impact with URI in her first season, averaging 10.6 points and reaching double figures 17 times. She hit for a career-high 19 points in a home win over Holy Cross and followed with 15 in a road upset of No. 16 North Carolina State. It was the first win for the Rams over a top-20 opponent in program history. 

Gray has delivered immediately after a transfer from conference rival Saint Louis, leading URI with 12.5 points per game and adding 5.6 rebounds. She hit for 23 points in a win at George Washington, 21 while completing a sweep over Saint Joseph’s and 30 in a road win at George Mason that helped the Rams secure the No. 1 seed this week at Henrico Sports & Events Center. 

Vital has been an all-around factor for URI, leading the team with 105 assists and 55 steals while averaging 7.9 points and 5.5 rebounds. Mbu is second in both scoring and rebounding, third in the league with 48 blocked shots and tied for first on the team in 3-pointers made. Debroise leads in made free throws, tied for second on the team in steals and is both a two-time captain and two-time league champion. 

Richmond forward Maggie Doogan earned a second straight Player of the Year honor and Saint Louis standout Alyssa Koerkenmeier was named Rookie of the Year. Saint Joseph's guard Gabby Casey was named Most Improved Player and La Salle guard Aryss Macktoon took home Defensive Player of the Year. Doogan, Spiders teammate Rachel Ullstrom, Davidson's Charise Dunn and the George Mason duo of Kennedy Harris and Zahirah Walton joined Gray on the first team.

The Rams will open conference tournament play with an 11 a.m. quarterfinal Friday. URI will face either Loyola Chicago or St. Bonaventure. Davidson and the Hawks are among potential semifinal opponents Saturday at 11 a.m., and the title game is set for Sunday at 4 p.m. 

bkoch@providencejournal.com 

On X: @BillKoch25 

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Rhode Island women's basketball Tammi Reiss is A-10 Coach of the Year