A Job Well Dunn for New Lady Cyclones Coach

As a basketball player for Bethpage High School, Katie Dunn earned All County, Conference Player of the Year, All State, and All Long Island honors while scoring more than 1,000 points in her four-year career. She was a three-year captain at Bethpage, and took to its first NCAA tournament. 

As the newest South Side girl’s basketball coach, she hopes to continue her winning ways  by bringing some of that success and experience to Rockville Centre and the Lady Cyclones.

“My goals are to ensure every day that each athlete is getting better, learning, working hard and having fun,” Dunn said. “My expectations are high. It is our goal as a team to win a conference championship and not let down in the playoffs.”

Dunn said her experiences from playing high school and college ball, as well as coaching alongside Molloy coach Tim O’Hagan, has helped develop her coaching skills and will lead her team to success. 

“My experiences as a player have absolutely shaped the coach that I am,” she said. “I'm lucky to have had great relationships and learned a lot from my past coaches that I played for. Tom Gargiulo [coach at Bethpage] taught me the importance of treating every girl like they were your daughter and Tim O’Hagan taught me the majority of my coaching principles.”

Those ideals have helped Dunn gain the trust and loyalty of her squad. Dunn has made it clear to her team that she supports them both on and off the court, and as a former player herself, she can relate to them in ways other coaches can't.

Lady Cyclones senior co-captain Megan Lonergan said she feels lucky to have a player's coach like Dunn, who once dominated the hardwood.

“Playing for Katie Dunn is one of the best experiences I've had as a player,” Lonergan said. “She's played basketball most of her life, so she can directly connect to what we’re doing. She knows exactly what she’s talking about and she's a fun coach that makes playing more enjoyable.”

While she's still young and learning on the job, Dunn's dedication to her position is incomparable. The first-year coach is a self-proclaimed film-room rat, and combs over game footage to improve her team and its chances against opponents.

“I watch film from our games constantly,” she said. “I'm always looking for the extra edge for our team and how to keep us moving to the next level. At Molloy, I learned the importance of becoming attached to game film and learning from it.”

Dunn said she always knew she would end up in sports, but was unsure where her passion would take her. For her, coaching basketball is more than just teaching a sport; it is a chance to improve and touch the lives of all the players who cross her path.

“I always knew sports had to be a part of my life in some way," Dunn said. "It has always been the consistent force in my life; sports were always an outlet and a passion. It was O’Hagan who really made me want to become a basketball coach. I saw how hard he worked for us and I wanted to work that hard to make student-athletes better, build confidence, and help them in their lives in any way possible.”