For the first time in 11 years, the Iona College women’s basketball team will have a new head coach pacing the sideline. Billi Godsey will lead the Maroon & Gold this season.

Godsey, a Cheverly, Md. native, was introduced as the seventh head coach in program history in May. She replaces Anthony Bozzella, who is now the head coach at Seton Hall University.

Iona is the first head coaching job for Godsey. Before joining the Gaels, she spent the last two seasons as an assistant coach at Virginia Tech in the competitive Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). Prior to her stint with the Hokies, she spent three seasons as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at the University of Maryland-Baltimore County.

Godsey entered the collegiate coaching ranks as an assistant coach at Molloy College. In addition to coaching at Molloy, she also served as an administrator in the athletics department. She held the position of Associate Director of Athletics, Senior Woman Administrator and Compliance Officer.

A 2003 graduate of Hofstra University, Godsey suited up for the Pride for four years. She appeared in 79 games over that stretch. In 2005, she earned her master’s degree from Adelphi University.

“I am confident that her unique skill set will help our program to continue to flourish and grow on an already strong foundation of history and tradition,” Iona Director of Athletics Rick Cole said in a statement.

Godsey inherits a program that has experienced tremendous success in recent history. The Gaels are coming off their fourth Women’s National Invitation Tournament (WNIT) berth in the last seven seasons. The Maroon & Gold finished the 2013 campaign with an overall record of 20-13 and a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) record of 13-5. Upon working with the team all summer long, Godsey is impressed with what she has seen.

“They are performing well, so I expect them to perform at a high clip and to really compete to be at the top of the MAAC,” Godsey said.

Iona returns the reigning MAAC Player of the Year and MAAC Rookie of the Year in junior guard Damika Martinez and sophomore forward Joy Adams, respectively. Martinez, a two-time MAAC scoring champion, led the league with 18.1 points per game, while connecting on a league-best 79 3-point field goals. Adams led the league in rebounding (10.7 rebounds per game) and field goal percentage (49.5 percent). She led all freshmen in the nation with 17 double-doubles.

The coaching staff is rounded out by Ashlee Kelly, Jana Ashley, Liz Leer, Eric Alston, and Mike Ritz. Kelly enters her fifth season on the Iona bench. Ashley and Leer are new to the Maroon & Gold, coming from George Mason and American Universities, respectively. Alston, a 2011 graduate of Iona, has spent the last six years in the program as a student manager and the Assistant Director of Basketball Operations. Ritz, Iona class of 2013, is a former student manager.

Godsey and company look to continue the success of the program.

“Obviously we have big goals and expectations of this group,” Godsey said.