Original article (Tartamella Elevates Staff Members for Upcoming Season) on St. John’s University athletic website redstormsports.com.
St. John’s women’s basketball head coach Joe Tartamella announced changes to his coaching staff for the 2022-23 season on Wednesday.
Tartamella elevated Candice Walker to from assistant coach to associate head coach. Shenneika Smith moved up into the second assistant role while Joe Rutigliano was named an assistant coach following a season as the team’s Assistant Director of Operations.
“Candice is a rising star in our profession, and I am excited to have her serve as our associate head coach,” said Tartamella. “She has done a great job in a short period of time impacting our program in all areas.”
Walker will maintain her role spearheading the Johnnies recruiting efforts, as she takes on her new position. The Baltimore native brings nearly a decade of experience to the Red Storm program, having served both as a recruiting coordinator and an assistant coach at her previous stops.
Working primarily with the guards in 2021-22, Walker saw St. John’s Leilani Correa earn All-BIG East First Team honors. The Manchester, N.J., native was the first player to earn back-to-back first team honors since Aliyyah Handford, who received the accolade from 2013-16. The Red Storm also saw Kadaja Bailey’s efforts rewarded by the Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association as she took home All-MET Third Team honors following her senior campaign.
Prior to her stop in Queens, Walker served as an assistant coach at her alma mater, Loyola Maryland and Massachusetts. During her time at UMass, helped the team improve from 9-21 in 2016-17 to a 20-win season (20-11) in 2019-20. This marked the Minutewomen’s first 20-win season since 1995-96. Following the stellar campaign, Walker earned the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association’s prestigious 30 Under 30 Award, an honor that recognizes up-and-coming coaches at all levels of women’s basketball.
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