Tom Riley Named Women’s Basketball’s Interim Coach

10/13/2026 12:00:00 AM

Goldey-Beacom baseball coach Tom Riley has been named the women's basketball team's interim coach for the 2026-27 season.

The move comes after coach Bethann Burke accepted the Director of Athletics job at SUNY Maritime.

"We are very excited for Bethann as she takes on this new challenge and I think we have developed a sound plan to find her replacement," Director of Athletics Jeremy Benoit said. "While putting a baseball coach in charge of leading a women's basketball program might seem illogical, we feel it is the best decision for our program this close to the start of the season. Our full-time staff members typically experience long stays with the College, so I want to take our time to ensure we find the best possible addition to our staff and coach for our student-athletes."

Riley did not inherit anything when he got the job as Goldey-Beacom's first baseball coach in 2015, except a field and an office. What he has accomplished in the first 10 seasons of the program has been nothing short of outstanding, including five NCAA Tournament Appearances in the last six seasons.

The 2026 campaign (33-24) saw GBC play in the NCAA Tournament for the fifth time in program history. It competed in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference final for the first time, was nationally ranked for the fourth time in the last five years, played in the CACC Tournament a sixth straight year and recorded an 11-game winning streak. It also marked the sixth straight season the Lightning were part of the NCAA East Regional rankings, the official formula of seeding the teams for the NCAA Tournament.

The assistant coaching staff is led by Ber'Nyah Mayo who is new to the staff this year but adds significant depth with her playing experience at the highest level. Mayo played in 155 games between three seasons at Massachusetts and two more at St. John's, racking up career totals of 1,336 points, 481 rebounds, 397 assists and 269 steals. She earned Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament MVP honors at UMass in 2023 and was captain for St. John's in 2024-25.

Graduate assistant Naia Pulliam is in her second year with the program, coming off her stellar playing career at Kutztown where she tallied 1,502 points and 510 rebounds. Pulliam was also her squad's captain and was selected as the PSAC East Player of the Year in 2025.

The coaching staff is rounded out with a familiar face in former Lightning standout Rory Ciszkowski. She continues her studies at the College and serving as an assistant coach following an outstanding playing career that ended with her first in team history with 279 three-pointers and ninth with 1,281 points.

One interesting fact about the three assistant coaches is that they are natives of Wilmington, DE, and played at Saint Elizabeth High School. Their cohesion will be an asset to the development of the program.

Goldey-Beacom opens the season November 13 at home against D'Youville.

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