Kristen Sharkey has been selected to replace Becky Burke following her departure to coach Arizona University. Sharkey will be in charge of maintaining the high standard, with the team coming off of their first Women's National Invitational Tournament (WNIT) win this past season. Here are five things that you should know about her:
1. Sharkey was a very successful player during her time as a student at UB.
Sharkey began her time at UB as a student athlete. She was a pivotal part of the team during her time with the Bulls from 2010-2015. Sharkey was an all-Mid-American Conference (MAC) player during both her fourth and fifth years with the team. During this time, Sharkey showed her ability to lead when she was named a senior captain during her final year playing. She is a homegrown coaching prospect who is passionate about the university.
2. She is an established assistant coach for UB.
After her time as a player for the UB, she stayed with the team in an assistant coaching role under former Head Coach Felisha Legette-Jack. She was in this role for seven years, during which the team made four NCAA tournament appearances, going as far as the Sweet Sixteen in the 2018 season.
3. She is an experienced recruiter with an eye for talent.
During her time as an assistant coach, she had a hand in the recruitment process for Dyaisha Fair, who was named MAC freshman of the year in 2019 and was drafted 16th overall in the second round of the 2024 Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) draft by the Las Vegas Aces. Sharkey’s proven success in the recruiting process is a good sign for a Buffalo team trying to rebuild after losing many pivotal players from the WNIT championship team.
4. She has coached for Syracuse women's basketball.
After her time at UB, Felisha Legette-Jack took the position at Syracuse to be their new women’s basketball coach — and Sharkey chose to follow her and stay on her staff. She spent three seasons helping The Orange secure an NCAA tournament spot in the 2024 season.
5. She is interested not only in athletics, but also academics of her student athletes.
Sharkey has a masters in business administration, and has emphasized her focus on providing an environment that encourages academic and athletic excellence.
“Now, it is my turn to help these young women achieve their dreams and reach their highest potential both on the court and in the classroom,” Sharkey said during an interview with Athletic director Mark Alnutt.
With a sense of familiarity to the program and experience coaching at the highest level, Sharkey will look to continue the Bulls’ recent success going into her first season as head coach.
The sports desk can be reached at sports@ubspectrum.com
