Just the third head coach in St. John Fisher’s storied history, Melissa Kuberka was hired in 2017 and has continued to build the program into one of the most successful teams in Division III history.
Over the last four seasons, Kuberka, who was named the East Regional Coach of the Year by D3hoops.com in 2022, has guided Fisher to a trio of Empire 8 Championships and two NCAA appearances. Under her direction, Fisher has eclipsed the 20-win plateau four times including a 26-3 overall mark during the 2021-22 and 2022-23 season – the team’s highest totals in three decades.
A two-time Empire 8 Coach of the Year honoree, Kuberka, who owns a career record of 118-56, guided Fisher to two winning streaks of at least 10 games in the team’s most recent season as the Cardinals maintained a top-25 ranking throughout the season.
Since taking the reins, Kuberka has recruited and developed some of the top talent in the region and beyond with dozens of All-Conference selections, three Empire 8 Defensive Player of the Year winners, several All-Region honorees and the program’s first All-American in nearly 15 years.
Overall, Kuberka has piloted the Cardinals to the Empire 8 Championship game in each of the last five seasons with Fisher compiling a 60-9 record in league play. In 2021-22, the Cardinals went 15-1 in Empire 8 action and won the Empire 8 Regular Season title by two games en route to the program’s sixth conference crown. With Kuberka on the bench, Fisher won its NCAA opener over Rhode Island College and reached the Round of 32.
A standout Division III student-athlete in her own right, Kuberka was a member of the SUNY Geneseo women’s basketball team for four seasons where she helped lead the Knights to 78 wins and an appearance in the NCAA Division III Women’s Basketball Championship in 2011. Kuberka, who graduated in 2013 with a Bachelor’s degree in Biology, still ranks 15th all-time in career scoring with 1,042 points in 110 games and is fifth in career rebounds with 733. An All-American in 2013, Kuberka was named All-SUNYAC in both her junior and senior seasons and took home Player of the Year honors in 2013.
Kuberka has continued her education and holds a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from the University of Buffalo and an MBA from St. John Fisher.
6/9/22
