Michele Van Gorp was hired by head coach Pam Bass as an assistant in June 2007. Van Gorp comes to Colgate with a wealth of elite playing experience both on the collegiate and professional level. A 1999 graduate of Duke University, she played for two seasons with the Blue Devils after transferring from Purdue University. She helped guide Duke to its first NCAA Final Four and national title game as a senior. She led all Blue Devils with 15 points in the championship game loss to the Boilermakers. Van Gorp averaged 13.9 points and 4.8 rebounds per game while at Duke.
“Coach Van Gorp an ideal fit to the staff,” Bass said. “I am impressed with her character and her desire to become the best coach she can be. Our student-athletes will benefit greatly by learning the intricacies of the game from someone who has established herself at the highest level of the game. I am excited for the future of Colgate basketball with her joining our staff.”
The 6-6 center was drafted by the WNBA’s New York Liberty in 1999 and closed out her career with the Minnesota Lynx when she retired in 2004. Battling injuries during her time in the WNBA, she averaged 3.2 points and 1.3 rebounds in her six seasons in the league. She also played for overseas clubs in Greece, Italy, France, Russia, and Spain.
While in the WNBA, Van Corp was the team representative to the Women’s National Basketball Player’s Association (WNBPA) and was selected by her peers to serve on the eight person WNBPA committee representing the players during the collective bargaining agreement negotiations with the league officials. Van Corp most recently served as the assistant coach for the Glens Falls High School girls’ varsity basketball team. She also served as the women’s basketball camp director and coordinator at Southern Vermont College in 2005.
Van Gorp earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology with a certificate in Markets and Management from Duke in 1999.
