Former UMaine women’s basketball standout to join Black Bear coaching staff

Tanesha Sutton, who helped lead the University of Maine’s women’s basketball team to back-to-back America East championships in 2017-18 and 2018-19, will return to UMaine as an assistant coach.

She will replace Gaddy Lefft, who moved on to become an assistant coach/recruiting coordinator at America East rival Bryant University (RI).

The Philadelphia native, a two-time All-America East selection including a first team nod in 2018-19, transferred to UMaine from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh.

She averaged 11.2 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 98 games for the Black Bears. She ranks 21st on the school’s all-time scoring list with 1,124 points and 20th in career assists (268).

The 5-foot-10 guard played three seasons of professional basketball in Sweden, Romania and Portugal and began her coaching career as an assistant at the Community College of Philadelphia in 2020.

She also spent four years coaching Hunting Park AAU and parts of two seasons at the Elite Sports Factory. She co-founded the Different Mindset Annual Youth Basketball Camp.

“We’re really excited to have her back. She was a great player and she is a great, great person,” said UMaine women’s head coach Amy Vachon. “She is a really hard worker and she’s really enthusiastic.

“She loves Maine. She loved her experience here. So I think she can bring a lot to our program,” Vachon added.

Vachon said Sutton will be involved in “every part of our program.”

Sutton said in a press release that she was extremely excited to be back at UMaine.

“To join a coaching staff that once coached me is a full circle experience,” said Sutton. “To be able to be back at my alma mater, where I was fortunate to win two consecutive championships with an amazing group of women, is a blessing.”

She also said she was thankful for the opportunity to be part of a great coaching staff and she said she was looking forward to working with student-athletes both on and off the court.

Sutton joins a staff that also includes associate head coach Courtney England, assistant coach/recruiting coordinator Tom Biskup, student assistant coach Lexi Mittelstadt and Matt Peyton, the sports performance coach and director of basketball operations.