Cassandra Loftus, now in her fourth season as an assistant coach with the New York University women’s basketball team, was promoted to Senior Assistant Coach prior to the 2015-16 season. Her primary responsibilities include coordinating recruiting efforts, player development, opponent scouting, and academic progress.
In 2014-15, the Violets produced a 20-win season (22-5), a third-place finish (10-4) in the University Athletic Association (UAA) and a trip to the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year. NYU hosted Virginia Wesleyan University in the first round of the NCAA’s and won 51-50 for its first tournament victory since 2009.
The Violets, who began the season 15-0, were ranked as high as #7 in the nation in the USA Today/WBCA (Women's Basketball Coaches Association) Top 25 Coaches Poll.
NYU players received a multitude of accolades last season. Sophomore Kaitlyn Read and junior Megan Dawe earned First Team All-UAA honors. Senior Melissa Peng earned Second Team distinction, while junior Amy Harioka was selected Honorable Mention. Dawe, who became the program’s 14th 1,000-point career scorer, also received WBCA Honorable Mention All-American, Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Metro All-Star Second Team, First Team All-Met, and NYU Female Junior Scholar Athlete of the Year honors. Read was also highly-decorated, receiving D3hoops.com Honorable Mention All-American and First Team All-East Region honors, ECAC Metro All-Star Second Team accolades, and was a three-time Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association (MBWA) Honorable Mention Player of the Week.
In 2013-14, Loftus helped lead NYU back to the national stage as the Violets produced a 20-win season (20-6), a 9-5 (second place) mark in the UAA and a trip back to the NCAA’s. It was the first tournament bid for NYU since 2009, when the squad reached the Sweet 16. The Violets got off to a 13-0 start before suffering their first loss on the road at the hands of then-#2 Washington University. Just five days later, the squad recorded a signature win over then-#7 Emory University and spent three weeks in the D3hoops.com top 25, peaking at #20.
The 2013-14 campaign also saw a number of Violets collect individual accolades. Dawe and Read were both named First Team All-UAA and Second Team All-Met. Read also received Second Team All-East Region and East Region Rookie of the Year honors from D3hoops.com, while also being named to the Women’s DIII News All-Freshman Team.
In her first season with the Violets in 2012-13, Loftus helped lead a young squad to a 10-15 overall record, including a 3-11 mark in the UAA. A high point in the campaign came late in the season when NYU completed a weekend sweep of UAA foes Washington and the University of Chicago. At the time, Washington was ranked #13 in the nation.
Dawe was selected UAA Rookie of the Year (the first NYU player ever to earn the distinction), Second Team All-UAA and ECAC Metro Rookie of the Year. Riley Wurtz, another of the team’s freshmen, was named Honorable Mention All-UAA.
Loftus joined the Violets’ coaching staff after two years (2010-12) as an assistant coach at Williams College. During her tenure, the Ephs compiled a 40-12 overall record and reached the NCAA Tournament in 2011. Loftus was involved in all aspects of the program, including coordinating the team’s recruiting efforts and assisting in both on-court and logistical operations.
From 2008-10, Loftus was an assistant coach at Springfield College. While there, her responsibilities included recruiting and player development. Loftus also served as Head Coach of the Pride’s junior varsity team in 2008-09.
Prior to her coaching stints, Loftus enjoyed a successful collegiate playing career. She spent 2004-05 with NYU’s UAA rival Brandeis University. During her time with the Judges, Loftus helped lead the team to a 23-4 record and an ECAC Championship. She then transferred to NCAA Division II Saint Anselm College, where she played from 2005-08. Loftus was a starter and served as captain for her final two seasons.
A 2008 magna cum laude graduate of Saint Anselm with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history, Loftus added a Master of Arts degree in secondary education from Springfield in 2010.
A native of Nashua, NH, Loftus resides in Hoboken, NJ.
