University of Delaware Athletics
Women's Basketball
- Title:
- Head Coach
- Email:
- scj@udel.edu
Sarah Jenkins, a former associate head coach at Delaware, was named the fifth women’s basketball head coach in the program’s history on April 3, 2022. Jenkins concluded her third season as the leader of the Blue Hens this past 2024-25 campaign.
In 2024-25, Jenkins led the Blue Hens to a 13-17 record and a CAA Tournament victory over UNCW in the second round. UD set a new single-season record for made threes as a team with 206, while Ella Wanzer led the CAA in three-point shooting at 38-percent. Wanzer made the second-most threes in a single-season by a Blue Hen (68), surpassing WNBA legend Elena Delle Donne. The Blue Hens led the CAA in three-point percentage (36-percent) and field-goal percentage (41-percent). Delaware went on a six-game winning-streak in February, the longest under Jenkins. In a season where the team battled injury and adversity, captain Tara Cousins earned All-CAA Second Team.
In her second season at the helm, Jenkins' 2023-24 squad finished the year with a second round appearance at the CAA tournament and saw freshman center Ande'a Cherisier walk away with a CAA All-Rookie nod. For the second-straight year, the Blue Hens were on an offensive tear as the team ranked third in the league averaging 67.4 points, totaled 80-plus points in four difference contests and had nine 70-plus point performances during the campaign. The Blue Hens also led the conference in attendance, averaging 1,297.0 fans per game.
The 2022-23 season saw Jenkins led the Blue Hens to a 16-14 overall record, 9-9 in CAA play and second round appearance in the conference tournament. Jenkins helped guide a spectacular season from third-team all-conference selection in Klarke Sconiers and having SAAC President Tara Cousin take home the league's most prestigious honor, the Dean Ehlers Leadership Award. Jenkins' first year squad finished the tough non-conference schedule posting a 7-4 record, highlighted by capturing a B1G win over Illinois (Nov. 26), which marked the third time in three seasons that Delaware walked away with a win over a Power 5 school. The Blue Hens were an offensive threat as averaged 66.0 points, logged 80-plus points in three different contests and had seven 70-plus point performances this season.
Jenkins has over a decade of Division I coaching experience, spending the 2021-22 season as an assistant coach at Penn State.
Jenkins is no stranger to the Blue Hen family as she spent four seasons on the coaching staff. She held the title of assistant coach and recruiting coordinator (2017-20) before being elevated to associate head coach and recruiting coordinator during the 2020-21 season. During her tutelage, the Blue Hens were 71-50 overall and 46-26 in conference play.
Jenkins played an intricate role in guiding Delaware to one of its best seasons in nearly a decade in 2020-21. She helped guide the squad to a Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) regular-season title, WNIT Charlotte Region Championship, and a WNIT semifinals appearance; posting a 24-5 overall record, including a 16-2 mark in conference play to conclude the year. Jenkins helped develop a spectacular season from CAA Player of the Year, first-team all-conference, all-defensive team, and all-tournament team selection Jasmine Dickey, who became the sixth player in program history to earn player of the year honors. The team finished the season as the NCAA Division I statistical champion in offensive rebounds per game (20.3). Jenkins was primarily tasked to work with the perimeter players where she helped develop two CAA Player of the Year honorees in Dickey and Nicole Enabosi along with a multitude of All-Conference selections.
Before Delaware, Jenkins spent three seasons (2014-17) as an assistant coach at her alma mater, Georgetown. She helped guide the Hoyas to back-to-back WNIT appearances (2016-17) while developing a pair of All-BIG EAST selections, including BIG EAST Freshman of the Year Dorothy Adomako.
Jenkins spent more than eight years in the high school coaching ranks prior to her returning to Georgetown in 2014. She made stops at The Geneva School (Fla.) and Winter Park High School (Fla.) where she led her squads to a pair of district championships as well as two regional final appearances.
The Bowie, Md. native started her collegiate playing career at the University of Maryland but transferred to Georgetown where she played four years of basketball. As a student-athlete, Jenkins was a BIG EAST Academic All-Star and served as a two-year team captain. Jenkins graduated with bachelor’s degrees in English and Sociology in 2005.
