First year head coach Andrea Peterson, who has led her Philadelphia based Neumann Goretti team to an undefeated record entering this week’s playoff schedule, has been named the 2015 Naismith High School Coach of the Year.
On November 7th, the former NG assistant took over the reins of a program that went 30 – 1 last season and finished as the PIAA State runner-up. To date Peterson’s Lady Saints have amassed a perfect 27 – 0 record and currently sit atop every national poll including the Blue Star Media Elite 25 rankings.
Goretti, which features four Division – I signees as well as a consensus top 10 recruit in the 2016 class, is posting 66.9 points per game while limiting the opposition to a stingy 32.0 each time out. The first year head coach served as an assistant last year as Goretti claimed their first Philadelphia Catholic League Championship in 38 years and now in her first season as head coach has led the Saints to their second in a row.
As a player Peterson also claimed two Catholic League titles of her own while playing scholastically for Archbishop Carroll. The Street and Smith honorable mention All-American began her colligate career at St. Johns where she helped lead the Red Storm to the WNIT and claimed Big East All-Academic Team honors. Following her freshman campaign, the Philadelphia area native transferred home to Drexel University helping the Dragons win the Colonial Athletic Association championship in 2009 and a spot in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history. Peterson’s senior year at Drexel saw her earn CAA Student-Athlete of the Year and CAA All-Academic Team honors as well as the Dean Ehlers Leadership Award. She received her B.S. in Sport’s Management, and a Master’s Degree in Higher Education.
Following graduation, her first coaching stop was at the collegiate level for Stetson University as an assistant in 2010-2011. In her first season she helped the Hatters win the A-SUN tournament and claim the university’s first ever NCAA tournament bid.
In addition to leading Neumann Goretti, she is actively involved in club basketball coaching with the long running and highly regarded Philadelphia Belles program. The 30 year old Peterson is also the owner and general manager of child care facility outside of Philadelphia.
She was selected by the Naismith committee from a list of finalists that also included Chad Hibdon of Blackman (Murfreesboro, Tenn.), Kevin Kiernan of Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.), Corry Irvin of Whitney Young (Chicago, Ill), and Delaney Rudd of New Hope Christian Academy (Thomasville, N.C.)
