SALISBURY, Md. – Salisbury University announced the hiring of
Alisa Sanford as an assistant women's basketball coach on Wednesday. Her first day on the job was July 3.
"I am so excited to welcome 'Coach Lee' to our Sea Gull family," said Sea Gull head women's basketball coach
Aprile Preller. "I believe her vibrant energy and the wide variety of coaching experience she has picked up through her journey will make a positive impact on our program. We're looking forward to having her on the bench as we prepare for the 2024-25 season."
Sanford arrives in Salisbury after spending the previous season as an assistant and the inaugural head junior varsity coach at Franklin (Ind.) College. The Grizzlies hosted postseason play for the first time in three seasons with Sanford on the sidelines, finishing 17-10 and reaching the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) Tournament semifinal. Sanford's JV squad posted a 6-2 record in its first season.
Sanford helped mentor two All-HCAC honorees, including one First-Team winner, while helping land one student-athlete on the All-HCAC Newcomer Team.
In addition to her work at Franklin, Sanford is a partner coach with College Coaches Skills Camp (CCSC), an organization that provides development and showcase opportunities for high school athletes while teaching about the college student-athlete experience.
Before Franklin, Sanford spent the 2022-23 season as the associate women's basketball coach at Denmark (S.C.) Technical College. She helped the coaching staff guide three student-athletes to All-Region nods while finishing as the NJCAA Region 10 runner-up.
Sanford was a dual-sport athlete during her collegiate career, first at New England College in Henniker, N.H., and then at Brenau University in Gainesville, Ga., making her mark on the basketball and track & field teams. She has also coached both track & field and cross country at the collegiate level, making stops at Valley City State (2018-19), Cedar Crest College (2019-21), and Oglethorpe University (2021-22).
A native of Buford, Ga., Sanford graduated from Brenau in 2017, earning a B.S. in General Studies and Business Administration. She completed two postgraduate programs in 2021, receiving an M.S.A. in Sports Administration from Belhaven University in Jackson, Miss., while simultaneously earning a Strategic Leadership and Analytics Certificate from Cedar Crest College in Allentown, Pa.
Salisbury University is a proud member of NCAA Division III with primary membership in the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference, along with the New Jersey Athletic Conference for football and men's and women's swimming, and the Coastal Lacrosse Conference for men's lacrosse. With over 500 student-athletes in 23 varsity sports, SU is recognized as one of the most competitive intercollegiate athletics programs regardless of division, featuring dedicated coaches and staff that foster excellence on and off the field. The Sea Gulls have celebrated 23 team national championships, 24 individual national champions, 199 conference championships, and 47 Academic All-Americans.
To Make Tomorrow Yours at Salisbury University, and learn more about Sea Gull Athletics' tradition of excellence, visit www.SUSeaGulls.com or follow on social media @SUSeaGulls.
