SALISBURY, Md. – Salisbury University Director of Athletics and Campus Recreation
Dr. Gerry DiBartolo announced on Thursday that
Aprile Preller '19 has been named the 16th head women's basketball coach in program history. She will begin her tenure at SU on June 14.
Preller succeeds
Kelly Baskow, who announced her resignation after 12 seasons in March and will depart the position on May 31.
"We are thrilled to welcome Aprile home to SU," said DiBartolo. "Aprile was very successful during her time at SU and at Marymount both on the court and in the campus community. Aprile has the knowledge and leadership ability to mentor and motivate our young women. Her passion will continue the success of the basketball team for years to come."
Preller returns to her alma mater after spending four seasons on staff at Marymount University (Va.), as an assistant coach. During Preller's four years on the sidelines, the Saints posted a 66-19 record with three Atlantic East Conference (AEC) regular season championships, two AEC Tournament titles and two NCAA Tournament appearances.
During her Marymount tenure, Preller oversaw the development of four AEC Players of the Year, one AEC Rookie of the Year, eight All-AEC selections, two Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) All-Region honorees and two WBCA All-America selections. Preller and her colleagues were recognized as AEC Coaching Staff of the Year on three occasions.
Preller served as the Saints' interim head coach from July to October of 2021, bridging the gap between outgoing head coach Ashlee Rogers and new boss Margaret White. During this interim period, Preller led the efforts on the recruitment of three new players to Arlington.
In addition to her coaching duties, Preller served as Marymount Community Health Director and Title IX Deputy Coordinator for two years.
Preller played four seasons at Salisbury from 2015-19, appearing in 66 games with two nods on the Capital Athletic Conference All-Academic team. An active member of the campus community, Preller led SU-sanctioned summer youth basketball camps, worked as a sports performance coach within SU athletics and served on the Sea Gull Sports Network (SGSN) student broadcasting crew.
A native of Pasadena, Md., Preller graduated with a Bachelor's in Exercise Science and Athletic Coaching from Salisbury in 2019 and earned her Master's in Public Health Education and Promotion from Marymount in 2021.
"It is an incredible honor to be chosen as the next head coach of SU women's basketball," said Preller. "This program has always meant so much to me, and I am excited to lead this group of young women on and off the court. I would like to thank
Dr. Carolyn Lepre and Dr. DiBartolo as well as
Jess Stoltz and the entire search committee for their dedication and for providing me with this opportunity to come home. I greatly value the Division III experience provided by SU Athletics and look forward to giving that back to the next generation of Sea Gulls."
Salisbury will begin its first season under Preller in November. The full 2023-24 women's basketball schedule will be announced at a later date.
Salisbury University is a proud member of NCAA Division III with primary membership in the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference, along with the New Jersey Athletic Conference for football and men's and women's swimming, and the Coastal Lacrosse Conference for men's lacrosse. With over 500 student-athletes in 21 varsity sports, SU is recognized as one of the most competitive intercollegiate athletics programs regardless of division, and dedicated coaches and staff that foster excellence on-and-off the field. The Sea Gulls have celebrated 22 team national championships, 24 individual national champions, 196 conference championships and 44 Academic All-Americans.
To Make Tomorrow Yours at Salisbury University, and learn more about Sea Gull Athletics' tradition of excellence, visit www.SUSeaGulls.com or on social media @SUSeaGulls.
