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Karen Pinkos was named the eighth head coach in the history of Southern New Hampshire University women's basketball on May 5, 2005.
A 1988 graduate of the University of New Hampshire, Pinkos spent nine years as an assistant at Northeastern University prior to accepting the position at SNHU and owns over 16 years of Division I coaching experience.
In her first five seasons, Pinkos, a native of Allenstown, N.H., has led the Penmen to four Northeast-10 Tournament appearances, the first four in the history of the program. In 2008-09, SNHU recorded an 18-11 record, its best season since 1990-91, and posted its first NE-10 Tournament win over Le Moyne. The Penmen were ranked in the top 10 in the East Region for much of the season.
In 2009-10 the Penmen had two Northeast-10 All-Conference selections as well as a selection to the league's All-Rookie Team while once again reaching the conference tournament.
Pinkos began her coaching career at the University of New Hampshire and also served as an assistant at Boston College and Providence College, before joining the coaching staff at Northeastern in 1996. She helped Providence to a share of the Big East 7 title in 1996.
Recognized as one of the nation's top assistant coaches by Women's Basketball Journal in 2000, she helped guide Northeastern to an America East title and the program's first NCAA Tournament appearance in 1999.
Her recruiting success stories at Northeastern included six all-rookie team selections, and she helped develop six all-conference performers.
Pinkos was a four-year member of the women's basketball team at New Hampshire and served as a team captain her junior and senior year. She collected first-team all-conference honors as senior after guiding the Wildcats to a 19-win season, and still ranks high among the program's all-time leaders in career assists. She went on to play professionally in Germany after earning her bachelor's degree in leisure management and tourism.
Pinkos was an all-state performer at Pembroke Academy and participated in the New Hampshire/Vermont Alhambra All-Star game following her senior year. She was inducted into the Pembroke Academy Hall of Fame in the summer of 2006.
Kara Williamson was named assistant women's basketball coach in July, 2009.
Williamson arrived at SNHU after serving as an assistant coach for two seasons at American International College in Springfield, Mass., a member of the Northeast-10 along with SNHU. While there, she helped lead the Yellow Jackets to a two-year record of 38-26. In 2008-09 AIC posted a 21-13 record, reached the second round of the NCAA Division II Tournamentt and also reached the Northeast-10 semifinals.
Williamson spent the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons as an assistant coach at Western New England College in Springfield. Over her two seasons on the WNEC staff, the Golden Bears posted a combined 37-22 record, including a 21-7 mark and a semifinal appearance in the ECAC Division III New England Championship in 2005-06. The 21 victories established a school record.
Before entering the coaching ranks, Williamson was a four-year member of the women's basketball team at Assumption College in Worcester, Massachusetts. A Dean's List student at Assumption, Williamson received the Most Improved Player award as a freshman and the Unsung Hero award as a senior for the Greyhounds. She earned her Bachelor's in Management from Assumption in 2005 and recently completed her Master's in Sport Management at Springfield College in 2007.
A Ludlow (Mass.) High School graduate, Williamson was the Most Valuable Player and a team captain as a senior at LHS. She was a First Team All-Western Mass. selection and was also selected to the All-Massachusetts Scholastic Team.
Monica Galamaga enters her third season as an assistant women's basketball coach at SNHU.
Galamaga served as the head women's basketball coach at SNHU's crosstown rival, Saint Anselm College, for four seasons from 2003-07. Prior to her stint on the Hilltop, she was an assistant coach under hall of fame coach Barbara Stevens for six seasons at Bentley University, during which time the Falcons posted a 166-28 mark and five Northeast-10 regular season titles.
A 1991 graduate of Saint Anselm with a degree in Psychology, Galamaga was a two-time Northeast-10 All-Conference performer for the Hawks, leading Saint Anselm to the 1991 NE-10 title and a pair of NCAA regional final berths as a junior and senior. She was inducted into the Saint Anselm Hall of Fame in 2002.
Brooke Lefort, a former two-sport athlete at SNHU, enters her first season as an assistant coach with the women’s basketball program.
Lefort was a member of the women’s basketball program from 2005-09. After walking onto the team as a sophomore, she appeared in 97 games and averaged 4.6 points and 2.6 rebounds per game over her final three seasons. On the Penmen volleyball team, of which she was a member from 2004-07, Lefort served as team captain as a senior and wrapped up her career among the program leaders in kills (602) and blocks (216).
In 2009-10, Lefort served as head JV girls basketball coach and assistant varsity coach at Goffstown High School. She also has experience as an AAU assistant with the New Hampshire Shooting Stars U16 team. A native of Cumberland, R.I., Lefort was an All-State performer in both basketball and volleyball at Cumberland High School.
Lefort earned her bachelors’ degree at SNHU in Elementary Education while minoring in history in 2008 and recently completed her masters in Curriculum and Instruction at SNHU. She is currently a teacher in the Hooksett School District at Hooksett Memorial School.
Andrea Lozeau joins the SNHU women’s basketball coaching staff after wrapping up a four-year career with the Penmen.
Lozeau, a native of Pelham, N.H., appeared in 106 games over her career, starting every game as a sophomore and starting 21 of 29 contests as a senior. She shot 38.3% from behind the arc over her four seasons and averaged 2.1 points and 1.6 rebounds per game over her four seasons. As a senior she ranked third on the squad with 48 assists.
A 2006 graduate of Central Catholic High School in Lawrence, Mass., Lozeau was a three-time Merrimack Valley Conference All-Star and averaged 9.2 points and 4.6 assists as a senior while serving as team captain.
Lozeau recently graduated from SNHU with a degree in Child Development. She is currently pursuing her master’s at SNHU in Educational Studies.
