NEWARK, Del. - - The Wilmington University athletics department is pleased to announce the hiring of Kerry Jenkins as the new women's basketball head coach.
"We are very excited to have Kerry Jenkins joining the Wilmington University Athletics family," Director of Athletics Dr. Stefanie Whitby said. "Coach Jenkins is a seasoned coach with a history of building and leading basketball programs to a high level of competition. Equally as important is his ability to provide compassion, understanding, and mentorship to his student-athletes. We are looking forward to an exciting future for the women's basketball team."
Jenkins comes to Wilmington with more than 18 years of collegiate coaching experience, most recently 11 years as the head coach at NCAA Division III Oberlin College in Oberlin, Ohio. During his 11 seasons, Jenkins has compiled the most wins (117) among any coach in program history.
He led the 2017-18 Oberlin team to a North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) Championship and the program's first ever bid into the NCAA Tournament. That season, the team finished with a 21-8 overall record and 13-3 mark in the NCAC, both school records. Jenkins also led the 2014-15 Oberlin squad to hosting its first NCAC Tournament game since 1990, and the program's first postseason win in 2016-17 since 1999. He was named the NCAC Coach of the Year in both 2015 and 2018.
Coach Jenkins said in a statement, "I cannot adequately express my gratitude to Dr. Stefanie Whitby, the athletic staff and the Wilmington University community for giving me this opportunity. I am beyond excited to be a Wildcat. It's apparent that Wilmington is an institution that prioritizes its students' academic, mental, and physical well-being. I'm so grateful to be given the opportunity to be a part of that dynamic. I am 100 percent behind the ideals and the mission statement of Wilmington University and its athletic department."
Prior to his run as a successful head coach, Jenkins spent three years on the bench at University of Vermont as an assistant (2005-08) and four seasons as an assistant with the Yale University women's basketball program (2001-05).
His coaching career started at Tallahassee Community College where he helped guide the 2000-01 team to a school record, 28-8, and a third-place finish in the National Community College Tournament.
Kerry Jenkins played football and graduated from Amherst College in 1995 while later earning his master's from Florida State University in 2001.
Jenkins will begin leading the Wildcats with the 2021-22 season, as they return to the court for the first time since the 2019-20 season.