Photo courtesy of the University of New Hampshire Nashua's Kelsey Hogan is all smiles these days as it was announcd she will be be running the huddle next season as the UNH permanent head women's head basketball coach.

It’s official: Nashua’s Kelsey Hogan is the permanent University of New Hampshire women’s basketball coach.

Hogan, who was named the Wildcats interim coach back in April, had that tag removed on Monday, the school announced.

Hogan, who was Nashua High School North’s first 1,000-point career scorer, is a UNH alum and spent six seasons as a Wildcat assistant/associate coach.

She becomes the seventh head coach in the history of UNH women’s basketball.

“We are delighted to announce that Kelsey Hogan will be our next women’s basketball head coach,” UNH athletic director Marty Scarano said. “The search committee was so impressed that during a very competitive search process, Kelsey took nothing for granted as an internal candidate and stood out among a field of highly qualified applicants to ‘win the day’ as the right choice for this position….

“She embodies everything that is great about UNH. We will be well served having her lead our women’s basketball program for years to come.”

“I am honored and humbled,” Hogan said in a release issued by the school. “I am extremely grateful for this opportunity and for those who have supported me throughout this entire process.”

While thanking UNH officials for the job, Hogan also thanked former coach Maureen Magarity “for giving me the opportunity to be on her staff and for her mentorship over the years.”

Hogan got the head position on an interim basis when Magarity left in April to take the Holy Cross job. And it was no slam dunk that she would get the permanent job, as sources at UNH said the competition was very tough.

“There were some really good candidates, with head coaching mid-major experience,” one source said.

But it would have been tough not to give Hogan the permanent gig, as she has been synonymous with UNH women’s hoop for nearly a decade. Hogan had been an assistant since 2014 and has been lauded for her work in helping to shape the program.

From 2014-16, Hogan worked directly with guard Elizabeth Belanger (2012-16), a two-time America East First Team guard who ranked sixth in all-time scoring (1,453 points) and eighth in rebounds (703) at the University.

Hogan also mentored two of the best point guards in program history: Kristen Anderson (2013-17) is second in all-time assists (391) and Brittni Lai (2016-18), in just two seasons, compiled 220 assists (No. 17).

Of course, Hogan, after a brilliant career at Nashua North, was a UNH standout herself, overcoming not only one but two knee injuries.

She is ranked No. 2 all-time at UNH in free throw percentage (.807), scored 1,181 points (No. 12 in school history) and handed out 375 assists (No. 4) during an illustrious playing career that spanned from 2008-14.

The 5-foot-6 guard overcame medical redshirt seasons in 2008-09 and 2009-10 to become a three-time captain and an All-America East First Team selection her senior year (2013-14). That season she ranked No. 1 in the conference in free throw percentage (.821) and placed among league leaders in 3-point field goal percentage (.317/No. 4), minutes/game (32.6, No. 5), assists/game (3.2/No. 6), 3-pointers made (49, No. 7) and points/game (12.5, No. 9).

As a junior, she hit one of the biggest shots in UNH women’s hoop history, a buzzer-beating 3-pointer that beat Stony Brook in the America East quarterfinals.

There’s no doubt UNH has been the center of her life the last decade.

“I couldn’t be more thrilled to represent this University that means so much to me and that has helped shape me into the person I am today,” Hogan added. “I am excited to continue working with the amazing young women we have on this team, as well as our alumni, and look forward to building the bright future of this Wildcat program together.”

(UNH Associate Athletic Director for Communications Mike Murphy contributed to this report)

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