Meredith Mesaris has departed Vassar College after two highly successful seasons as head women’s basketball coach, taking the same position with NCAA Division III powerhouse Tufts University in Massachusetts.
Mesaris led Vassar to records of 25-3 in 2023-24 and 21-7 in 2024-25, guiding the Brewers to Liberty League playoff championships both seasons, first as a No. 1 seed and last season as a No. 2. Vassar dropped first-round NCAA Div. III tourney games to Washington and Lee and Amherst, respectively.
During her two seasons, Mesaris coached six first-team Liberty League all-star picks and three players who surpassed 1,000 career points. The website D3hoops.com named Mesaris its Region III coach of the year in 2024.
“I’m incredibly honored to be the next head women’s basketball coach at Tufts,” she said. “This is truly a dream opportunity, and I’m excited to join a program with such a strong tradition of excellence and a vibrant campus community.”
“Coach Mer is an exceptional leader who blends elite basketball knowledge with an unwavering commitment to her players’ growth on and of the court,” said Vassar recent graduate Tova Gelb, an All-American. “She knows exactly what it takes to bring out the best in her teams. … She inspires, challenges, and supports her athletes, cultivating a culture of excellence, teamwork and integrity. Tufts is gaining not only a gifted coach, but also a remarkable person whose influence will extend far beyond the scoreboard.”
Prior to Vassar, Mesaris was an assistant coach at Hartford, Williams, Dartmouth and Hendrix. She scored 1,758 points during her playing career with Div. III Scranton (2012-15), earning All-American honors twice.
Vassar has produced seven consecutive winning seasons, posting at least 20 wins on three occasions.
kmcmillan@th-record.com
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Vassar recent records
Under head coach Meredith Mesaris: 2024-25 – 21-7 (15-3 Liberty, second place); 2023-24 – 25-3 (17-1, first)
Under head coach Anthony Mason: 2022-23 – 18-9 (14-4, third); 2021-22 – 17-8 (16-2, second)
Under head coach Lucia Robinson-Griggs: 2019-20 – 19-8 (14-4, second)
Under head coach Candice Brown: 2018-19 – 21-7 (14-4, T-second); 2017-18 – 17-10 (11-7, fifth); 2016-17 – 12-13 (9-7, fifth); 2015-16 – 10-15 (7-9, seventh); 2014-15 – 12-13 (7-9, sixth); 2013-14 – 23-6 (13-3, second); 2012-13 – 21-5 (13-3, first); 2011-12 – 18-10 (10-6, third); 2010-11 – 16-12 (8-6, fourth); 2009-10 – 9-15 (5-9, T-fifth)
This article originally appeared on Poughkeepsie Journal: Vassar women’s basketball coach Meredith Mesaris departs for Tufts
Reporting by Ken McMillan, Middletown Times Herald- Record / Poughkeepsie Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
