Gail Gilchrest was named Drew University’s head coach of women’s basketball in the summer of 2007. Gilchrest came to Drew after four years as the head coach at Washington College in Maryland and numerous seasons as a high level assistant coach. She brings experience as a program builder and an elite DIII player to her position at Drew.
In her first season at Drew, Gilchrest began the rebuilding process by replacing two of Drew’s all-time greats, All-American Courtney Cunningham and three-time first team all-conference star Melissa Kraft, with an outstanding recruiting class. With just two starters returning, the Rangers still managed a 6-19 record, with eight losses coming by ten points or fewer.
In 2006-07, Gilchrest led the Washington Shorewomen to their best record in six seasons with a 12-13 record that included an upset victory over #23 Muhlenberg. The 2006-07 Shorewomen also had two players named to the All-Centennial Conference team, marking the second time in program history that two Shorewomen earned All-Conference honors in the same season.
Prior to her stint at Washington, Gilchrest was an assistant at Gettysburg College for the 2000-01 season when the Bullets posted an 18-6 record. She also spent two years as an assistant at Rowan University.
Gilchrest was a two-year letter winner at Kean University, where she was a two-time All-NJAC performer, a two-time ECAC All-Star, and a Kodak Division III All-American. She averaged a school-record 24.7 points per game and made a school-record 141 free throws for the Cougars during the 1996-97 season. She was also a two-time team MVP in lacrosse at the school and earned her B.A. in history.
