Kam Gissendanner was hired as the Head Women's Basketball Coach on August 13, 2025.
Gissendanner brings a wealth of coaching experience as well as playing experience at the highest levels of the game.
Gissendanner most recently served as the head women’s basketball coach at La Roche University for the last 12 seasons. Over her time with the Red Hawks, she led the Redhawks to eight AMCC Championships and NCAA Tournament appearances in 10 years. She compiled over 230 career victories and was voted AMCC Coach of the Year five different times.
“We are so excited to welcome Kam to be our next women’s basketball coach at Saint Vincent College” Harris said. “There was so much excitement around the job and attracting somebody with a resume and history like coach (Kam), there was only one choice. From Kristen Zawacki to Jimmy Petruska leading this historic program, as soon as Kam and I talked, we knew that she was the perfect person to step in and fill that role. We had interest from Division-I coaches and small college coaches, but there was one person that we had our eyes set on and it was Coach Kam.”
Prior to her time at La Roche, Gissendanner coached at the Division-I level as well. She spent two seasons at St. Francis University, helping lead the Red Flashes to two NCAA Tournament appearances and two Northeast Conference Championships.
Gissendanner brings a proven track record as a player as well. She put together an impressive career at Penn State, scoring over 1,200 career points, while earning All-Big Ten honors in three consecutive seasons. At Penn State, she was a member of the prestigious Spiritus Leoninus, an honor given to athletes who demonstrate outstanding achievements in academics, athletics, and community service.
After graduating from Penn State, Gissendanner went on to play professionally in both the WNBA and in Europe as well. She signed as an undrafted free agent with the Los Angeles Sparks WNBA team in 2008, before heading to Norway to play professionally for Gimle.
In Norway, she was the league’s leading scorer and won the league MVP as well.
Kam is a graduate of Clairton High School, where she was named a 2002 USA Today Junior All-American, the 2003 AP Small School Player of the Year, and the 2003 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Player of the Year.
“This is an amazing opportunity, and I do not take it for granted” Gissendanner explained. “I am so excited to be a part of this family and to help propel the tradition of Saint Vincent women’s basketball. This tradition is rich, and I am not here to change things or stir it up, I am here to help continue to take it to another level. We are going to hit the ground running quickly, we want it right now. We are a family and we are going to stick together as a family.”
Gissendanner holds a bachelor’s degree in Rehabilitation Services with a minor in Human Development: Family Studies from Penn State. She completed an internship in the Morgan Academic Support Center at Penn State, focusing on NCAA sports research.
Gissendanner has one son, Kameron.
