Kelley Watts begins her seventh season as the head coach of the Adelphi University women's basketball program. Over the past six seasons, she has compiled a 98-76 record with the Panthers. During her tenure the team has captured an East Coast Conference (ECC) title, garnered a NCAA Tournament berth and made two ECAC Tournament appearance.

During the 2008 season, the Panthers compiled a 14-15 overall record, 12-8 in ECC play. Coach Watts saw Gianna Smith become the school's All-Time leading scorer with 1,559 points. A fourth place finish in the ECC, Watts had three All-Conference players and an ECAC All-Tournament selection in Smith.

The 2007 season saw the Panthers (16-14, 14-6 ECC) advance to the second round of the ECC Tournament and earn an ECAC bid. Junior Gianna Smith was named Division II Player of the Year by the Metropolitan Writer's Association.

In 2006, the Panthers finished 15-13 overall and 14-6 in the ECC. Two players earned all-conference honors with senior Carlyshia Hurdle being named All-Met DII Player of the Year. In 2005, the team also finished 15-13 overall, with three players earning All-Met honors and one all-conference selection.

After leading the Panthers to a respectable 18-11 record and an ECAC Tournament appearance during her first year, Watts improved on this record during her second season, guiding her squad to a 20-11 finish. This marked just the second 20 win season in program history. In addition, Adelphi won the ECC Tournament earning an automatic berth in the NCAA Division II Regional Tournament.

For her efforts Watts, was named the Nassau County Sports Commission Female Coach of the Year and was also honored by the Metropolitan Basketball Writer's Association as the NIT/All-Met Women's Division II Coach of the Year.

Coach Watts knows a successful program includes more than just wins and she demands integrity both on and off the court. This is evidenced by the team receiving the Sportsmanship Award twice. The award is voted on by officials from the ECC, and is presented to the program that displays the greatest amount of sportsmanship during the season.

From 2003-2006 Watts coached the Long Island Region Open Division Women's Basketball Team for the Empire State Games. In 2005, she guided the team to a gold medal, the first for Long Island since 1985 where Watts played as a guard.

In addition to success on the court, Watts is committed to various campus and community programs. The team participates in the annual American Heart Association Heartwalk and this last season volunteered at the Winthrop-University Hospital Olympic Fun Fest benefiting the Kids with Cancer Center. The team has also hosted and participated in numerous clinics.

Watts was named the eighth head women's basketball coach in Adelphi history on May 23, 2002. Prior to coming to Adelphi, she completed a two-year head coaching stint at United States Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, N.Y., where she guided the program from a club sport to an 8-16 record during its 2000-01 inaugural season. In 2001-02 the team finished 6-18 overall.

Before Kings Point, Watts served as an Assistant Women's Basketball Coach at Hofstra (1998-2000) for two seasons. In the six years prior to that, she was an Assistant Women's Basketball Coach at three prestigious Division I programs. She served as an assistant at the University of Virginia (1993-94), St. John's University (94-95), and Temple University (95-98).

Watts began her career working as a Graduate Assistant at Stony Brook University after achieving a Bachelor of Science in Administration of Justice from Rutgers University. She was standout player at Rutgers and was a member of a unit that had the first perfect conference season in Atlantic 10 history (16-0, 1986). That same squad also ventured deep in the NCAA Tournament, eventually falling in the Elite Eight.

A member of the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) since 1984, she has instructed at over a dozen different basketball clinics and has been a guest speaker at numerous award banquets. Her accolades extend to the national level as well, where she was part of a team that qualified for the 1984 USA Olympic Trials.

A native of Bay Shore, New York, Watts earned All-American honors during her three years as a varsity basketball player for Bay Shore High School. In 1995, she was inducted into the Suffolk County Hall of Fame.