Alisa Kresge was named the ninth head coach in Vermont Women’s Basketball history on April 9, 2019 after successfully leading the program as interim head coach during the 2018-19 campaign. She led the Catamounts to 11 wins and a fifth-place finish in America East their best since 2009-10. The 11 wins were also the most by a Catamount coach in their debut season since 2003-04.
2024-25 was Kresge’s seventh year with the Catamounts and her seventh year as head coach. She served as the associate head coach from 2016-2018. In her six full seasons at the helm and interim season, Kresge has led Vermont to a 118-81 mark (70-35 AE).
Kresge continued her success in the 2024-25 season, leading the Catamounts back to the NCAA Tournament for the second time in two seasons. Under her guidance, Vermont earned 20 wins for the fourth consecutive season. Vermont had four all-conference selections and saw Bella Vito become the third-ever Catamount to earn Defensive Player of the Year. Vermont had a top-10 scoring defense for the third consecutive season.
2022-23 was Kresge’s seventh year with the Catamounts, and her fourth year as head coach. She served as the associate head coach from 2016-2018. In her four full seasons at the helm and her interim season, Kresge has led Vermont to a 72-56 mark (42-28 AE).
In the 2022-23 season Kresge continued her success leading the Catamounts back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the 2009-10 season. Under her guidance Vermont earned their most ever home victories at Patrick Gym (15) and earned their most America East victories (12) since the 2009-10 season. Vermont finished tied for first in America East earning a share of the regular season title for the first time since 2001-02. Under Mayer Head Women’s Basketball Coach Alisa Kresge, the Catamounts also claimed the America East Championship for the first time since the 2009-10 season and fourth time since the 1999-00 season.
During the 2022-23 season the Catamounts went on a 17-game win streak which reached as high as third in the country behind only No. 1 South Carolina and South Dakota State. The 17-game win streak was the longest for the Catamounts since the 1992-93 season. The 17-game win streak is the longest in Kresge’s career and was the longest winning streak in America East in 2022-23. Vermont’s 25 victories in Kresge’s fourth full season at the helm is tied for the fifth most in program history and the most since the 2009-10 season.
The 2022-23 season saw Kresge coach three separate All-Conference honorees. Anna Olson and Emma Utterback earned America East All-Conference First Team honors, while Delaney Richason was named to the All-Conference Third Team. Olson was also named to the America East All-Academic Team for the first time in her career.
Mayer Head Women’s Basketball Coach Alisa Kresge was named the America East Coach of the Year, while also garnering Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Coach of the Year in the 2022-23 season.
The 2022-23 campaign saw the Catamounts return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the 2009-10 season. Coach Kresge led Vermont to a first round birth where they lost on the road against No. 2 UConn.
The Catamounts finished the 2022-23 campaign among the nation’s best in several key statistical categories including finishing 10th in points per game allowed (54.1), 76th in scoring margin (+7.2), tied for 32nd in winning percentage with .781, 19th in three point percentage (36.5), 90th in field goal percentage (42.7), 17th in fouls per game (13.6), 48th in field goal percentage allowed (37.4) and 28th in three point percentage allowed (27.6).
Even in the 2020 COVID shortened season Kresge steered the Catamounts to a winning record, going 4-2, earning four America East victories.
In the 2021-22 season she led the Catamounts to one of the most successful seasons in over a decade, finishing 20-11 (13-5 AE). Vermont finished fourth in the America East and advanced to the semi-finals before losing to eventual America East Champion UAlbany. UVM had several America-East All-Conference honors, including Rookie of the Year Catherine Gilwee and a trio of All-Conference team members Emma Utterback (1st Team), Anna Olson (2nd Team), and Josie Larkins (3rd Team). Utterback also earned All-Tournament team honors in 2022. Kresge also coached 2019 Scholar-Athlete of the Year Hanna Crymble.
A 2007 graduate of Marist College, located in Poughkeepsie, New York, Kresge returned to her alma mater in 2009 as an assistant coach. She served in this role from 2009-2016. During that time, she recruited and coached 21 MAAC All-Conference selections, including two MAAC All-Rookie Team selections. She also coached 31 All-Academic honorees. The squad amassed a 173-42 record, made five straight NCAA Tournament appearances (2010-14), and captured five consecutive MAAC Tournament Championships (2010-14). Lead the team to the 2015 WNIT where they lost to eventual semifinalist Temple.
During her time at Marist Kresge coached five different MAAC Tournament MVPs, four different MAAC Players of the year, two MAAC Defensive Players of the Year, one MAAC Sixth Player of the Year and two MAAC Student-Athletes of the year.
Kresge played point guard for the Red Foxes from 2003-07, standing as the program’s all-time leader in assists (596) and ranking second in steals (222). As a senior, she helped Marist become the first men’s or women’s basketball program in MAAC history to advance to the NCAA Sweet 16. She is also the only player in MAAC women’s basketball history to be named Defensive Player of the Year three times in her career. Was also named Third Team All-MAAC as a junior and Second Team All-MAAC as a senior. She earned her degree from Marist in digital media.
| Year |
Overall Record |
Conference Record (place) |
| 2022-23 |
25-7 |
12-2 (T-1st AE) AE Champions – NCAA First Round |
| 2021-22 |
20-11 |
13-5 (T-3rd AE) AE Semifinals |
| 2020-21^ |
4-2 |
4-2 |
| 2019-20 |
12-18 |
6-10 (T-6th AE) AE Quarterfinals |
| 2018-19* |
11-18 |
7-9 (T-5th AE) AE Quarterfinals |
*Interim Year
^UVM season shortened due to Covid-19