Liberty Del Rosario Named WBCA Assistant Coach of the Year
March 15, 2019
Virginia Union University's Liberty Del Rosario has been named the National D-II Assistant Women's Basketball Coach of the Year by the Women's Basketball Coaches of American, it was announced on Wednesday, March 13.
"Liberty is a rising star in our game," said VUU Head Coach AnnMarie Gilbert. "She is hard working, loyal, committed to our standard of Excellence, and she cares tremendously about the well being of our student-athletes. Liberty is one of the most thoughtful and caring assistants I have ever had. She is passionate about the game and pays attention to details. She is growing as a recruiter along with her knowledge of x’s and o’s and is very efficient in her work habits. Liberty is extremely deserving of this honor and will make an exceptional head coach in the near future."
Del Rosario, who is in her first season as an assistant coach for the Lady Panthers, came to VUU after spending three seasons as an assistant coach for the Niagara University Purple Eagles of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC).
Del Rosario came to Niagara in 2015 after spending three seasons as an assistant coach for the Winthrop University Eagles. Del Rosario appeared in two post season tournaments while at Winthrop; the Eagles advanced to the Women's National Invitational Tournament (WNIT) Second Round in 2013 and played in the 2014 NCAA Tournament First Round where they fell to Duke.
Del Rosario came to Winthrop in 2012 from Eastern Michigan where she served for one season as an assistant coach and helped lead the Eagles to a Mid-American Conference West Division championship and a conference tournament championship. EMU ended its season with a 23-9 record and lost to South Carolina in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
Prior to Eastern Michigan, Del Rosario served as an assistant at Morgan State. In her first season at MSU, she helped the Bears earn the program's first-ever Division I postseason appearance with a trip to the WNIT. Del Rosario spent four seasons at Cleveland State as the team's director of basketball operations from 2006-2009 before being promoted to assistant coach for the 2009-2010 season. Del Rosario helped CSU return to the NCAA Tournament for the second time in three seasons in 2009-2010.
She began her coaching career in 2002 at her alma mater, Notre Dame College in South Euclid, Ohio where she was a two-year letter winner. She spent five seasons as an assistant and helped the program qualify for the NAIA Nationals for the first time in program history in 2006.
Del Rosario earned a bachelor of arts in psychology from Notre Dame College and a master's of Education with emphasis in sport management from Cleveland State.