{{Short description|American basketball coach (born 1973)}} {{About|the basketball coach|the actress|Denny Dillon}} {{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}} {{Infobox college coach | name = Denise Dillon | image = | alt = | caption = | current_title = Head coach | current_team = Villanova | current_conference = Big East | current_record = {{Winning percentage|139|59|record=y}} | contract = | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1973|9|22}} | birth_place = | death_date = | death_place = | alma_mater = | player_years1 = 1992–1996 | player_team1 = Villanova | player_positions = Guard | coach_years1 = 1997–2001 | coach_team1 = Villanova (assistant) | coach_years2 = 2001–2003 | coach_team2 = Drexel (assistant) | coach_years3 = 2003–2020 | coach_team3 = Drexel | coach_years4 = 2020–present | coach_team4 = Villanova | overall_record = {{Winning percentage|468|270|record=y}} | bowl_record = | tournament_record = | championships = WNIT (2013)<br>3 CAA regular season (2009, 2018, 2020)<br>CAA Tournament (2009) | awards = 3× CAA Coach of the Year (2005, 2009, 2018, 2019) <br>Big East Coach of the Year (2022) | coaching_records = }} '''Denise Dillon''' (born September 22, 1973)<ref name="Birthdate"/> is the head women's basketball coach at Villanova.
==Career== She returned to her alma mater from Drexel, where she was the program's most successful coach since it moved to Division I in 1982–83. She had been at the helm of the Dragons program since 2003, and was named the 2005, 2009, 2018, and 2020 CAA Coach of the Year.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Denise Dillon – Women's Basketball Coach |url=https://villanova.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/coaches/denise-dillon/3680 |access-date=2022-04-09 |website=Villanova University |language=en}}</ref>
Dillon guided the Dragons to the 2009 CAA Championship and a berth in that year's NCAA tournament. The star of that team was Gabriela Mărginean, a junior at the time who would go on to become the all-time scoring leader in the history of Philadelphia area collegiate women's basketball. Following that championship season, Dillon steered the Dragons to four-consecutive WNIT appearances, the program's first-ever postseason victory in the 2012 WNIT over Fairfield, and the 2013 WNIT championship.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Drexel Dragons Win 2013 WNIT Championship |url=https://womensnit.com/news/2019/2/21/postseason-wnit-drexel-dragons-win-2013-wnit-championship.aspx |access-date=2022-04-09 |website=womensnit.com |language=en}}</ref>
From 1993 to 1996, she was a star basketball player at Villanova University. She earned three All Big-East honors at Villanova. She became just the 12th player in school history to score 1,000 points. She later served as an assistant on the Wildcats basketball team from 1997 to 2001. For her playing career, Dillon was enshrined in the Philadelphia Big 5 Hall of Fame,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Philadelphia Big 5 {{!}} Hall of Fame |url=https://www.philadelphiabig5.org/hallfame/index.html |access-date=2022-04-09 |website=www.philadelphiabig5.org}}</ref> the Villanova Wildcats Hall of Fame,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Villanova Sweeps List of 2004 Big Five Hall of Fame Inductees |url=https://villanova.com/sports/2018/6/18/genrel-010504aaa-html.aspx |access-date=2022-04-09 |website=Villanova University |language=en}}</ref> and her native Delaware County, Pennsylvania Athletics Hall of Fame.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Basketball |url=http://www.delcohalloffame.org/basketball.html |access-date=2022-04-09 |website=Welcome to the Home of the Delaware County Athletes Hall of Fame |language=en}}</ref>
On March 27, 2020, it was announced that Dillon would become the head coach of Villanova's women's basketball team, taking the helm from coach Harry Perretta after his 42nd season with the team.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-03-27 |title=Official: Villanova announces Denise Dillon as Women's Basketball Head Coach |url=https://whoopdirt.com/official-villanova-announces-denise-dillon-womens-basketball-head-coach/ |access-date=2022-04-09 |website=Women's HoopDirt |language=en-US}}</ref>
In 2022, Dillon was named the Big East Coach of the Year. The team was picked to finish 5th in the preseason polls, but the team ended up in second place behind the University of Connecticut.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Elvin |first=Gus |title=Villanova's Maddy Siegrist named Big East Player of the Year, Denise Dillon wins Coach of the Year |url=https://www.inquirer.com/college-sports/villanova/villanova-maddy-siegrist-denise-dillon-awards-20220303.html |access-date=2022-04-09 |website=Philadelphia Inquirer |language=en}}</ref> Dillon's Villanova Wildcats earned an invitation to the NCAA women's basketball tournament, and upset sixth-seeded BYU in the opening-round behind 25 points from Maddy Siegrist.<ref>{{Cite web |title=No. 11 Villanova women knock off No. 6 BYU 61–57 |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireStory/11-villanova-women-knock-off-byu-61-57-83551920 |access-date=2022-04-09 |website=ABC News |language=en}}</ref>
==Head coaching record== {{CBB Yearly Record Start | type=coach | conference= |postseason=}} {{CBB Yearly Record Subhead |name=Drexel |startyear=2003 |conference=Colonial Athletic Association |endyear=2020 |}} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | championship = | season = 2003–04 | name = Drexel | overall = 10–18 | conference = 7–11 | confstanding = T–7th | postseason = }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | championship = | season = 2004–05 | name = Drexel | overall = 19–10 | conference = 12–6 | confstanding = 3rd | postseason = }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | championship = | season = 2005–06 | name = Drexel | overall = 15–14 | conference = 9–9 | confstanding = T–6th | postseason = }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | championship = | season = 2006–07 | name = Drexel | overall = 10–21 | conference = 4–14 | confstanding = 9th | postseason = }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | championship = | season = 2007–08 | name = Drexel | overall = 18–12 | conference = 13–5 | confstanding = T–3rd | postseason = }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | championship = confboth | season = 2008–09 | name = Drexel | overall = 24–9 | conference = 16–2 | confstanding = 1st | postseason = NCAA First Round }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | championship = | season = 2009–10 | name = Drexel | overall = 17–14 | conference = 11–7 | confstanding = T–4th | postseason = WNIT First Round }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | championship = | season = 2010–11 | name = Drexel | overall = 19–13 | conference = 10–8 | confstanding = T–5th | postseason = WNIT First Round }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | championship = | season = 2011–12 | name = Drexel | overall = 19–14 | conference = 12–6 | confstanding = 3rd | postseason = WNIT Second Round }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | championship = postseason | season = 2012–13 | name = Drexel | overall = 28–10 | conference = 13–5 | confstanding = 3rd | postseason = WNIT Champions }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | championship = | season = 2013–14 | name = Drexel | overall = 15–16 | conference = 9–7 | confstanding = T-3rd | postseason = }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | championship = | season = 2014–15 | name = Drexel | overall = 20–11 | conference = 14–4 | confstanding = 2nd | postseason = WNIT First Round }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | championship = | season = 2015–16 | name = Drexel | overall = 19–14 | conference = 13–5 | confstanding = T–2nd | postseason = WNIT First Round }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | championship = | season = 2016–17 | name = Drexel | overall = 22–11 | conference = 11–7 | confstanding = 3rd | postseason = WNIT Second Round }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | championship = conference | season = 2017–18 | name = Drexel | overall = 27–8 | conference = 16–2 | confstanding = T-1st | postseason = WNIT Second Round }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | championship = | season = 2018–19 | name = Drexel | overall = 24–9 | conference = 14–4 | confstanding = 2nd | postseason = WNIT First Round }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | championship = conference | season = 2019–20 | name = Drexel | overall = 23–7 | conference = 16–2 | confstanding = T–1st | postseason = <SMALL> Postseason cancelled due to COVID-19</SMALL> }} {{CBB Yearly Record Subtotal | name = Drexel | overall = {{Winning percentage|329|211|record=y}} | confrecord = {{Winning percentage|200|104|record=y}} }} {{CBB Yearly Record Subhead |name=Villanova |startyear=2020 |conference=Big East |endyear=present |}} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | championship = | season = 2020–21 | name = Villanova | overall = 17–7 | conference = 9–5 | confstanding = 5th | postseason = WNIT Quarterfinals }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | championship = | season = 2021–22 | name = Villanova | overall = 24–9 | conference = 15–4 | confstanding = 2nd | postseason = NCAA Second Round }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | championship = | season = 2022–23 | name = Villanova | overall = 30–7 | conference = 17–3 | confstanding = 2nd | postseason = NCAA Sweet Sixteen }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | championship = | season = 2023–24 | name = Villanova | overall = 22–13 | conference = 11–7 | confstanding = T–3rd | postseason = WBIT Runner-up }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | championship = | season = 2024–25 | name = Villanova | overall = 21–15 | conference = 11–7 | confstanding = 5th | postseason = WBIT Semifinals }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | championship = | season = 2025–26 | name = Villanova | overall = 25–8 | conference = 16–4 | confstanding = 2nd | postseason = NCAA First Round }} {{CBB Yearly Record Subtotal | name = Villanova | overall = {{Winning percentage|139|59|record=y}} | confrecord = {{Winning percentage|79|30|record=y}} }} {{CBB Yearly Record End |overall = {{Winning percentage|468|270|record=y}} }}
==References== <references>
<ref name="Birthdate">{{cite web|last1=|first1=|title=Women's Basketball|date=|url=http://web1.ncaa.org/stats/StatsSrv/careercoach|website=NCAA|accessdate=16 Aug 2015}}</ref>
</references>
==External links== * [http://www.drexeldragons.com/coaches.aspx?rc=693&path=wbball Official bio]
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Dillon, Denise}}
Category:1973 births Category:Living people Category:American women's basketball coaches Category:Drexel Dragons women's basketball coaches Category:Villanova Wildcats women's basketball coaches Category:Villanova Wildcats women's basketball players