Phil Pellegrino was named head coach for Houghton women's basketball in May 2020. He is the 12th coach in the history of the program.
In his initial season the Highlanders played an abbreviated schedule due to Covid-19 restrictions, finishing with a 3-0 record. Since that time, Pellegrino has accelerated the program to its most successful four-year span in school history.
In his most recent season (2025-26), Pellegrino led the Highlanders to an impressive 23-8 record that ended in the program's fourth consecutive Empire 8 playoff appearance, second Empire 8 championship game appearance, and third NCCAA Championships appearance in four years. Assisted by a strong 8-0 run to start the year, the Highlanders finished the season ranked 2nd in the nation for assist-turnover ratio, 4th in the nation for 3PM per game, and 7th in the nation for points per game.
Houghton's women finished the 2023-24season ranked #6 in the NCAA Region III, and #3 in the NCCAA National Poll. They allowed only 48.8 points per game, a program record, and saw multiple players earn conference, regional and national awards. These including Trinity Copeland being named Empire 8 Defensive Player of the Year, and Kayla Camacho securing an NCAA All-America Honorable Mention, NCCAA Midwest Player of the Year, and NCCAA First Team All America.
A 2017 Houghton graduate, Pellegrino returned to the Highlanders after three seasons as a men’s assistant, and most recently as interim head coach, for the women’s program at Elmira College. In his first season at EC in 2017-18, he assisted with the installation of a new offensive system that saw the team increase its scoring production by an average of 20 points per game.
A former Empire 8 All-Conference student-athlete, Pellegrino spent his freshman season at Alfred University before finishing the last three years of his collegiate career at Houghton. He paced the Highlanders in scoring as a junior and eclipsed the 1,000-career-point mark during his senior campaign. With the Rochester, NY, native on the court, Houghton experienced its winningest season in over two decades, reaching double-digit wins for the first time since the 1995-96 season.
Pellegrino holds a bachelors degree in Biology from Houghton and recently earned his master's degree in Health Services Management from Elmira College. He and his wife, Esther (Houghton women's soccer coach), were married in the summer of 2023 and currently reside in Houghton, NY.
Notable Team Accomplishments:
Notable Individual Accomplishments:
-
2 NCAA WBCA All-American Honorable Mention
-
2024 NCCAA Regional Player of the Year
-
2024 NCCAA Regional Coach of the Year
-
1 NCCAA First Team All-American
-
2 NCCAA First Team All-Region selection, 4 NCCAA Second Team All-Region selection, 2 NCCAA All-Region Honorable Mention
Empire 8 Conference Recognition:
-
2023 Empire 8 Conference Rookie of the Year
-
2024 Empire 8 Conference Defensive Player of the Year
-
2024 Empire 8 Conference Coach of the Year
-
2024 Empire 8 Conference Player of the Year Runner-Up
-
2026 Empire 8 Conference Rookie of the Year
-
3 Empire 8 First Team All-Conference selections, 4 Empire 8 Second Team All-Conference selections, 3 Empire 8 Third Team All-Conference selections
NCAA Top 10 Statistical Rankings:
-
Scoring Offense (’25-’26)
-
Assists per Game (’25-’26)
-
Assist/TO Ratio (’24-’25 & ’25-’26)
-
3PT FGs (’24-’25 & ’25-’26)
-
Turnover Margin (’23-’24 & ‘25-’26)
-
FG% Defense (’23-’24 & ’24-’25)
-
Scoring Defense (’23-’24)
- Blocks per Game (’23-’24)
Notable Administrative Accomplishments:
-
Serves on the Regional Advisory Committee (RAC) for NCAA Region III
-
Serves as the NCCAA DI Midwest Region Representative
-
Serves as the Empire 8 Women's Basketball Chair
