MaryLynn Skarzenski ’09 begins her fifth season as the Assistant Director of Athletics and head women’s basketball coach at Nichols College's in 2021-22. She is responsible for all aspects of student life and academic affairs for the student-athletes.
The 2020-21 Bison went 4-1 at home and finished with a .500 record for the first time since the 2009-10 campaign. In her first season back at her alma mater in 2017-18, Skarzenski helped the Bison double the win total from the previous campaign. Four of her student-athletes earned CCC Academic All-Conference honors while Allison Cerrato garnered CCC Third Team accolades. Last season, Skarzenski saw Rebecca Cleary receive CCC Senior Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors.
Skarzenski – who serves as the scheduling coordinator at Nichols – returned to the hill following four years as the head coach at Mitchell College, where she twice tied the program record for wins (16) and guided the Mariners to the New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) Semifinals (2013-14 & 2015-16). In four years at Mitchell, Skarzenski posted a record of 57-47 (.548 winning pct.) and coached a pair of NECC Player of the Year award winners, as well as 10 all-conference performers. Off the court, Skarzenski’s team maintained a cumulative grade point average (GPA) above a 3.0.
In March of 2017, Skarzenski was named to the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Thirty Under 30, which was created to recognize 30 up-and-coming women's basketball coaches age 30 and under at all levels of the game. Each honoree has exemplified their involvement in community service, mentorship and impact on others, professional manner, and attitude and professional association involvement. She was one of only five head coaches on the list, which spans Division I, II, and III.
Skarzenski served as the Assistant Athletic Director, Senior Women Administrator, and Scheduling Coordinator at Mitchell. She oversaw academic reporting and organized the transportation needs for all of Mitchell’s 14 programs, while assisting with the compliance work for the department.
Prior to her arrival at Mitchell, Skarzenski spent two years as the head women’s basketball coach at Daniel Webster College. While in Nashua, she compiled a two-year mark of 33-22 and saw the team’s turnover rate decrease by 3.7 percent during that span. The Eagles played in the NECC Championship game in Skarzenski’s first season, where they suffered a two-point loss to Elms College. The following season, they advanced to the conference semifinals.
Skarzenski – who cut her teeth in coaching as an assistant at the University of New England (2009-11) –is a 2014 graduate of the NCAA Women Coaches Academy and was a participant in the 2015 WBCA Center for Coaching Excellence. After serving as a member of the NCAA Regional Advisory Committee from 2014-19, Skarzenski began serving on the NCAA Division III Women’s Basketball National Committee as the Northeast Region Chair during the fall of 2019. She completed a four-year stint as Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Conference Captain in 2020.
Skarzenski is one of the most decorated student-athletes in Nichols College History. She is the women’s basketball program’s all-time leader in games played (115), assists (641), and steals (409). A four-time Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) First Team selection and two-time Defensive Player of the Year, she was named the conference’s Player of the Year & Senior Scholar Athlete of the Year following her senior campaign. Following her playing career, Skarzenski was inducted into to the New England Basketball Hall of Fame.
Skarzenski graduated with a Bachelor of Arts as she majored in mathematics and minored in psychology. She went on to earn her Master’s Degree in Sport Leadership at Northeastern in 2016, graduating with a 4.0 GPA. Skarzenski was inducted into the Nichols College Athletic Hall of Fame in 2015.
Career Record at Nichols
|
W |
L |
| 2017-18 |
4 |
21 |
| 2018-19 |
4 |
21 |
| 2019-20 |
5 |
20 |
| 2020-21 |
5 |
5 |
| Totals |
18 |
67 |
