Women’s basketball hires new head coach
By Kadie DiGiuseppe
Rider women’s basketball hired Jackie Hartzell as its next head coach for the 2025 season, according to Rider Athletic Director Don Harnum on April 3.
The hire of Hartzell, the head coach at Division III Arcadia University, comes less than a month after former Head Coach Lynn Milligan ’92 was let go by the university after 18 seasons.
“I am honored and humbled to be named the head coach at Rider University,” Hartzell said in a Rider Athletics press release.
Hartzell will become the 20th head coach in program history and will be the sixth since Rider switched to Division I, according to the press release.
Hartzell spent the last three seasons at Arcadia and had much success.
During her time at the Glenside, Pennsylvania, university the team totaled a record of 56-26 and a 28-16 record in the Middle Atlantic Conference, helping her earn coach of the year for the 2024-25 season.
Hartzell broke many school records during her time at Arcadia, including leading the team to its first-ever postseason victory and set a program record for wins.
Before Arcadia, Hartzell spent eight seasons at the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, which has since merged with Saint Joseph’s University, where her team earned three each of CACC appearances and Division II NCAA Tournament appearances, including a trip to the Sweet 16 in 2018.
Hartzell has many accolades to her name including being a four-time CACC coach of the year, a HERO Sports women’s basketball Division II national coach of the year and the NCAA East Region coach of the year in 2019.
Hartzell played Division III basketball at Delaware Valley College (now University) in Doylestown, Pennsylvania.
The La Salle University graduate for her masters degree was also selected as the City of Basketball Love Coach of the Year in 2022 and the Philadelphia Coaches Conference Collegiate Coach of the Year in 2017.
Harnum explained that one of his main selling points on Hartzell was the fact that she has close recruitment ties to the local region and produces wins.
A press conference will be held next week to introduce Hartzell.
