Katherine Bixby, an all-American guard as a member of the Ithaca College women's basketball team, returned to her alma mater as the program's top assistant coach in July of 2012. She helped guide the Bombers to a school-record setting 27 victories and an appearance in the NCAA round of 16 in 2012-13. The next season, the Bombers won their third consecutive Empire 8 title and returned to the NCAA playoffs – advancing to the NCAA quarterfinals for the first time in program history.
A three-time All-Empire 8 First-Team selection, Bixby served as an assistant coach with the Bomber program during the 2010-11 season and at Ithaca High School in 2011-12.
Bixby became just the second Bomber to be named an all-American, earning honorable mention to the Women's Basketball Coaches Association team as a senior. She was a first-team selection to the WBCA's All-East Region team. A two-time second-team selection to the D3hoops.com all-region team, Bixby was a six-time Empire 8 Player of the Week during her playing career. She ranks third all-time at Ithaca with 366 assists and is the program's fourth-leading career scorer with 1,335 points. She ranks third with 141 three-point baskets, fifth with 288 free throws and 11th with 174 steals.
During her playing career, Ithaca went 73-38 and made two appearances in the NCAA playoffs. The Bombers posted a 53-9 record in Empire 8 play; in her freshman season the Bombers won the conference tournament title and in Bixby's senior year, they recorded the conference's first 16-0 record in any sport. Ithaca went 20-7 and won the Empire 8 regular-season title in 2010-11 with Bixby on the coaching staff.
Bixby, who also earned all-conference honors as a Bomber lacrosse player, graduated from Ithaca in 2010 with a bachelor's degree in biology and received her master's degree from Ithaca in 2012.
6/18/14
