Fresh faces lead Princeton: Courtney Banghart

First-year women's basketball coach Courtney Banghart may be new to Princeton, but she's right at home in the Ivy League. At Dartmouth, Banghart made her name as the lead scorer on the basketball team and later returned to the school as assistant women's basketball coach. As Banghart takes on her first season at the helm of Tiger basketball, it may seem as if she's never left the Ancient Eight hardwood, but Banghart has not always embraced her Ivy legacy. For a long time, her privileged education was the very thing that threatened to drive her away from the game of basketball. But when the coach who gave her a chance as a player came calling again, Banghart couldn't resist the assistant coaching offer, which led her down the path to her current position.

As a high schooler, Banghart was as an All-American soccer player, but her true love was basketball. She chose to attend Dartmouth because Chris Wieglus, the head basketball coach, was the only one who would allow her to give hoops a shot. Banghart's competitive nature and drive to succeed helped her quickly find her place on Dartmouth's team.

"I was the kid who ran into the backyard after soccer practice to shoot hoops," Banghart said. "When I got to Dartmouth, they needed a scorer, so that's what I decided to be. The more I shot, the more I made."

In fact, Banghart's shot became so accurate, especially outside the three-point circle, it garnered her several spots in the record books. To this day, Banghart holds the game, season and career records for three-point field goals at Dartmouth. Her career record is also the Ivy League standard. In her junior year, she was recognized as the best three-point shooter in Division I.

As her college years drew to a close, however, Banghart questioned whether she should continue in basketball by coaching. She had coached recreational boys' tennis teams since she was 15, and, as point guard, Banghart had become a leader on the basketball court. It seemed like a natural progression, but Banghart felt that going into coaching would be selling herself short.

"It was hard to say that I wanted to become a coach after my Ivy League education," Banghart said. "People I knew were becoming investment bankers, and I didn't want to be considered just a jock."

As a compromise, she pursued a career in education, double-majoring in psychology and neuroscience. It was Wieglus who helped Banghart land her first job, a teaching and coaching position at Episcopal High School in Virginia. Banghart helped her teams achieve immediate success, leading both the girls' tennis and basketball teams to league championships. She was determined, however, to validate herself by taking a more administrative role. Banghart became the girls' athletic director and dean of the sophomore class, hoping one day to become dean of the school. She thought she had finally found her place.

"I was happy as can be at Episcopal," Banghart said. "I saw myself staying there until the end of my career."

But, once again, Wieglas would give Banghart the chance to change directions. In June of 2003, she emailed Banghart to offer her the opportunity to return to Dartmouth as an assistant women's basketball coach. At first, the Dartmouth alum wasn't sure what she wanted. More coaching experience wouldn't improve her credentials as an administrator, except if she wanted to pursue a career as an athletic director. After deliberating for five weeks, Banghart decided to take the chance and return to Hanover.

Initially, Banghart didn't consider her position a profession and preferred to be called Courtney rather than "coach." She found that she enjoyed working with the Dartmouth players, however, because she could identify with the pressures and challenges they faced as Ivy League students. Also, as Wieglas' assistant, Banghart became familiar with many of the duties of a head coach, skills she now brings to Princeton. She credits this to Wieglas' inclusive style of coaching.

"She was in no way hierarchical," Banghart said. "If uniforms needed to be washed, you'd find her washing them. Her blue-collar mechanisms allowed [her assisting staff] to gain experience as coaches ourselves."

By the time she had completed four seasons with Dartmouth, Banghart realized she had found her calling. Her experience, competitive nature and willingness to confront any challenge were suited to coaching basketball, regardless of her alma mater. In her own words, Banghart finally accepted that she was "born to coach."

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Banghart arrived at Princeton with big plans for the women's program, which finished up last season 13-15 overall and 7-7 in the conference. Banghart prioritizes strengthening the Tigers' defense and building physical and mental toughness, but most of all, improving every single day.

"You have 28 games and so many practices, so it doesn't make sense to focus on improving every game. So far, we've had 21 practices, and there hasn't been a single blip. These girls do everything I ask them to."

If all goes well, Banghart's dedication and Ivy League knowhow may even make her Dartmouth mentor wary of Tiger basketball.