The 2018-19 season is the fifth in which Dan Muscatell serves the San José State women’s basketball team as a staff member and the first as Special Assistant to the Head Coach.
In his new role, Muscatell is responsible for handling all of the business operations of the program, including budget management, game scheduling and team travel. He will be a liaison between the coaching staff and external constituent groups and programs as well as leading the team’s fundraising activities. In addition, he will assist with on-campus recruiting and campus visit planning and logistics as well as be the primary coordinator of all camps & clinics.
Muscatell transitions to this new position after four years on the bench where his primary on-court responsibilities were scouting, coaching the team’s half-court defense and rebounding as well as post and center development. Off the court he assisted in recruiting, game scheduling and is the program’s camp coordinator.
The current partnership between Muscatell and head coach Jamie Craighead marks the third time the pair have worked a basketball sideline together. The first was when Muscatell coached Craighead during her collegiate playing career at Oregon (1999-02). Seven years later, Muscatell hired Craighead as an assistant coach at Sacramento State. The partnership was renewed in 2014-15 when Muscatell joined Coach Craighead’s staff.
Muscatell cames to San José State after five seasons (2010-14) as an assistant coach at the University of Oregon. Among other student athletes, he recruited Jillian Alleyne to Eugene, Ore. In 2013-14, Alleyne was honored with several national awards including Honorable Mention All-American from both the Associated Press and FullCourt.com. Alleyne set Pac-12 and program records for rebounds (494) and double-doubles (28) in a season as well as a single-game rebounding record (27), all under Muscatell's tutelage. In his five years at Oregon, Duck players earned all-conference recognition 15 times and 22 times were honored for their academic excellence.
Prior to his most recent stint at Oregon, Muscatell spent six years (2003-09) as head coach at Sacramento State. With the Hornets, he coached seven student-athletes to Big Sky all-conference honors, including 2004-05 Big Sky Conference Newcomer of the Year Kim Sheehy.?? Off the court, 24 players received Big Sky all-academic accolades, which culminated in 2009 with their second consecutive NCAA Academic Performance Program Public Recognition Award. Of 21 student-athletes that reached senior eligibility under Muscatell, 20 graduated.
Prior to Sacramento State, he spent four years as an assistant coach at Oregon (1999-03) and among his recruits and players was San José State women's basketball head coach Jamie Craighead. During his tenure the program won a Pac-10 championship (2000) while compiling 74-49 overall and 42-30 conference records.?The team made three postseason appearances during that four-year stretch. They participated in the 2000 and 2001 NCAA Tournaments and were champions of the 2002 WNIT Tournament.
Muscatell was responsible for bringing in one of the nation's top recruiting classes in 2001. All-Star Girls Report ranked the six-member class No. 17 in the nation. He has also coached or recruited former WNBA players Andrea Bills, Edneisha Curry, Brandi Davis, Jenny Mowe, Angelina Wolvert, Shaquala Williams, Cathrine Kraayeveld and Taylor Lilley.
A graduate of Western Washington University with a bachelor's degree in physical education/psychology (1983) and a master's degree in administration (1990), Muscatell and his wife, Terri, an elementary school teacher, have three children: Keely (BA - Oregon, PhD - UCLA), Jessica (BA - Sonoma State) and Drew (BA - Oregon).