K R I S T E N M C D O N N E L L, MASSACHUSETTS

Since graduating from Stonehill College in 2003, Kristen McDonnell, has established herself as one of the most successful high school basketball coaches Massachusetts has seen. Her current titles at Norwood High School include both school counselor and girls’ varsity basketball coach. Kristen’s career has indisputable evidence of her commitment and dedication to excellence in interscholastic sport.

Before her current tenure as Norwood High School girls’ varsity coach, Kristen wore various coaching hats including stints as varsity coach of the Norwood High School boys and Braintree High School girls basketball teams. She also served as an assistant coach at Bridgewater Raynham Regional High School and Stonehill College. Her influence in the basketball community is further highlighted by her service on the Massachusetts Basketball Coaches
Association Executive Board.

Kristen was named Boston Herald’s “Coach of the Decade” for the decade from 2010 and 2020. In recognition of her achievements as a coach and as a student-athlete, Kristen was inducted into the New England Basketball, Stonehill College, and Boston Latin School Athletic Halls of Fame. The prowess of her coaching is evident in her four MIAA state championships with Braintree High School, multiple state semifinalist titles, and an array of prestigious coaching awards, including being named Coach of the Year on several occasions by USA Today, ESPN Boston, Boston Globe, MIAA, and MBCA.

While her coaching credentials are extensive, Kristen’s involvement in the LeadHERship mentoring community is of note. This virtual assembly of over 80 women coaches from across the nation gathers bi-monthly, offering a platform to exchange ideas, strategize, and foster a spirit of camaraderie in coaching.

McDonnell acknowledges the pioneering women of New Agenda Northeast, recognizing that her achievements are built upon the foundations they and countless others laid for those who coach today. In addition to earning a bachelor’s degree in history from Stonehill College, Kristen earned a master’s degree in school counseling from Providence College in 2007.