GENEVA, N.Y.—William Smith Head Basketball Coach Seraphine Hamilton '06 recently announced that she has hired UConn Women's Basketball Graduate Assistant Coach Jake Gallo to serve as her top assistant coach for the 2025-26 season. Gallo joins the Herons following the Huskies' 2025 National Championship run.
 
"Jake's passion and experience training our nation's top female basketball players will foster our players' skills and reinforce our program's philosophy," Hamilton said. "Our team is eager and hungry to train, and Jake is the person who will help propel us forward in the most positive ways. We can't wait to get back in the gym because we know he will make us better."
 
As a graduate assistant coach, Gallo helped UConn to a 70-9 record over the past two seasons, including back-to-back BIG EAST Championships, consecutive Final Four appearances and this year's national title. He assisted the Huskies' coaching staff with scouting opponents and conducting individual workouts and also oversaw and coached the scout team.
 
Gallo has been a part of the UConn women's basketball program since arriving in Storrs, Connecticut, as an undergraduate in 2019. As a student manager from 2019 to 2023, he aided coaches in running drills and individual workouts, managed equipment and kept statistics. Gallo also worked as a member of the UConn game day operations staff and served as an athletic ambassador, enhancing fan experience at all Huskies' athletic events.
 
UConn was 118-17 during his undergraduate career, capturing four straight conference championships (2020 American Athletic Conference & 3 BIG EAST). While the 2020 NCAA tournament was canceled due to the pandemic, the Huskies advanced to the national semifinals in 2021, were the national runners-up in 2022 and reached the Sweet 16 in 2023.
 
Gallo earned a bachelor's degree in sports management from UConn in 2023 and a master's degree in sports management from UConn earlier this year.
 
William Smith will return four of five starters and 13 players overall from last season's team. The Herons will open the 2025-26 season Nov. 15 at home against Geneseo.