Dozens of resumes and countless hours culminated in one April 2019 decision: who would be the next leader of Rhode Island women’s basketball?
The woman that URI Athletic Director Thorr Bjorn landed on: Tammi Reiss, a Syracuse University assistant, former WNBA player and actress. Six years later, that decision has become one of the best in program history.
“We probably looked at about 85 or so resumes that came in,” URI Associate Athletic Director Shane Donaldson said. “It’s not often an assistant coach, an opposing team will stand out. But between her energy, the big head of hair and the way that she was enthusiastic about the game, you’re starting off on the right foot there because you see the name and you’re like, ‘oh, I know exactly who that is.’”
Reiss has been associated with one word in every conversation surrounding her character.
“It’s hard not to say energy, just because that’s who she is,” URI’s senior guard and all-time three-point leader Sophie Phillips said. “Energy is probably the biggest [word to describe Reiss].”
Reiss and her energy have captivated a culture in Kingston. Under Reiss, the team has an Atlantic 10 regular season title, a run to the Super Sixteen round of the WNIT, the program’s first ranked win, and it has skyrocketed women’s basketball attendance in the Ryan Center along with numerous other achievements.
“Believe me, it didn’t happen overnight,” Reiss said. “That first year [was about] setting the culture, the expectation, [finding out] who we are. Back then in 2019, we brought kids in and they had to sit…it’s much easier now to take over a program and just immediate transfers and you get in what you need or what you want.”
Reiss’ 2019-2020 team paved the way for her future teams, but not just on the hardwood.
“That first team, on the court and off the court, [they helped us in] cleaning our culture up,” Reiss said. “Then just getting them to play hard and put a good product on the floor, a product that could be competitive, that played hard, that fans could enjoy. We may not have won as much as we wanted at that point, but I think we definitely cleaned up the culture academically, athletically, and socially on campus.”
Reiss itched to improve, day by day, week by week and year over year. Just four years into her tenure, the Rams broke through to claim a 26-7 record and banner-raising season.
“Our success is really the process of implementing that and getting better every day, that’s what I’m really proud of,” Reiss said.
Reiss’ breakthrough turned heads, not only in Rhode Island, but throughout the conference, according to Bjorn.
“I think she elevated women’s basketball in the A-10,” Bjorn said. “I think you know the success that we had from really being at the bottom of the league to quickly turning around and being at the top…I think it was almost putting the league on notice to say ‘hey, let’s start investing [in women’s basketball].’”
Reiss has put URI in the spotlight outside of winning, focusing on international recruiting. Rhode Island has deep French ties, as associate head coach Adenyi Amadou has recruited half a dozen French women for this season’s team alone, not to mention past players.
“Being able to infuse talent from the international standpoint, that’s how we got good very fast,” Reiss said. “When you’re three and 20-something, no American kid would call us back.”
Reiss cares about her players significantly more than the wins. Her players are everything to her, it’s why she’s in the business.
“It’s developing student athletes, and especially developing strong, powerful women that are ready for the real world in anything they want to do,” Reiss said. “Whether it’s business, whether it’s teaching, whether it’s basketball pro career, it’s just developing and mentoring them into becoming just unbelievable young women that their parents would be proud of, that they would be proud of themselves. When I lose sight of that, when I’m doing this for wins and losses or for money and for whatever that, that, no, there’s a bigger picture here. It’s why I coach.”
Rhode Island’s players value that, it is love between Reiss, her staff and the players. Rhode Island is a winning culture that doesn’t sacrifice key values.
“She’s super supportive as well,” Phillips said. “Obviously, I’ve been here all four years because of Coach Reiss and the other coaches, and I wouldn’t want to go to any other school. Honestly, one of the best coaches I’ve ever had, if not the best.”
Reiss inked a 10-year deal with Rhode Island in 2022, staying in Kingston through 2031-32 and declining an offer from her alma-mater Virginia. Reiss has committed to Rhode Island and the Ocean State has committed to her, with the two backing each other through and through.
