Jenny Driscoll plans on continuing the family legacy
The 25-year-old former Notre Dame Academy and New Paltz star was named the head coach of the St. Joseph Hill girls basketball team earlier this week. She becomes the third member of her family to join the head coaching ranks on Staten Island. Driscoll is the niece of longtime St. Peter’s boys coach Charlie Driscoll and her father Denis is the school’s freshman coach.
“I have my uncle and my father at my disposal for advice,” Driscoll said. “I really want to mimic my program like my uncle runs his because he has been very successful.”
That means a commitment to a physical man-to-man defense and excellent conditioning. They are two characteristics she feels are essential to winning games and something she watched New Paltz’s women basketball coach Jamie Seward instill during her two seasons on the bench there. Driscoll graduated from the school in 2007 and spend a year working for the NBA as a game scout before joining the New Paltz staff.
“I feel like with those two things we are going to be in every game,” Driscoll said.
While at New Paltz, Driscoll knew she wanted to move back to Staten Island and take over a high school team. The St. Joseph Hill job opened up when first-year coach Joe Luken stepped down in February because of health reason after Michael O’Connor left a year earlier.
Driscoll jumped at the chance to coach at Hill because of the quality of the school and the division. She said she was shocked and excited when she got a call from athletic director Janice Phillips Tuesday night.
“I was really honored to do this, especially now that there are only five teams in the league,” she said. “I feel like it is more elite to be a head coach. I’m just really excited and honored to be a part of it.”
Driscoll takes over a squad that placed fifth out of six teams in CHSAA Staten Island last season and had a 13-10 record overall. The Hilltoppers, who will lose some key seniors, put forth an inspired effort in their season finale, a ,61-55, loss to eventual 16-time defending division champion St. Peter’s. Rising junior center Kelsey Carey dropped in 23 points and grabbed 19 rebounds in defeat.
“I know they are a talented, talented group, especially Kelsey Carey,” Driscoll said. “I couldn’t have walked into a better situation.”