Belle Koclanes begins her third season as an assistant coach at Old Dominion. Koclanes joined the Lady Monarch women's basketball staff after four seasons as an assistant coach at the University of Pennsylvania and having been a standout on the University of Richmond's squad.
Koclanes (pronounced ko-clan-ss), a 2002 Richmond graduate, was a four-year starting point guard and three-year captain, compiling 1,205 points and a school record 793 assists. Her total assist mark ranks her 25th in career assist leaders at the Division I level and her name can also be found in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) record books ranking second in assists average in a season (7.6) and at seventh in career assists (575).
In 2002, she was an All-America nominee, Naismith Award candidate, Third Team All-Atlantic-10 honoree, and Atlantic-10 All-Academic selection. Koclanes was also a member of the CAA All-Tournament Team in 1999 and a First Team All-CAA selection in 2001.
Following her collegiate career, Koclanes played professionally overseas competing and traveling throughout Greece and Bulgaria. She was a member of Panserraikos, a member of the Foreign International Basketball Association (FIBA).
Koclanes' coaching career began as the director of basketball operations at Ivy League member, Columbia. While a member of the Lions staff, she also worked as a personal trainer in general and sport-specific conditioning before joining the University of Pennsylvania.
Earning her degree in leadership studies from Richmond, Koclanes also received a Master's in culture and communication from New York University in 2004. She is fluent in Italian and also speaks Spanish and Greek.
A native of Pelham, New York, Koclanes currently resides in Virginia Beach, Virginia.