DETROIT (7/12/24) – Detroit Mercy women's basketball Assistant Coach Kiefer Haffey has been promoted to Associate Head Coach and Co-Recruiting Coordinator while Assistant Coaches Juanita Cochran and Andrea Cecil have been elevated to Co-Recruiting Coordinator and Director of Player Development respectively. Additionally, Antonio Capaldi joins the staff as an Assistant Coach announced Head Coach Kate Achter.
 
"I am very happy to reward both Kiefer and Juanita with the title of Co-Recruiting Coordinator," said Achter. "Their knowledge of Michigan and surrounding areas has been integral in assembling our current roster and will continue to pay dividends as we search for future Titan student-athletes."
 
"Kiefer's experience and poise make him a natural fit as our Associate Head Coach," added Achter. "He has done a wonderful job fostering relationships within our program while also recruiting. I am very excited to see his continued growth."
 
"Juanita has such strong ties to the city and has done a great job of maintaining her relationships with high school coaches," continued Achter. "I'm looking forward to watching her grow in this new role."
 
"Dre [Andrea] has certainly earned our player development role," added Achter. She is smart, curious, and eager to be great in our business. Her basketball IQ has helped us these last two seasons and will continue to do so on a much bigger level."
 
Haffey, Cochran and Cecil helped completely transform the program leading Detroit Mercy to a 17-16 (9-11 HL) record during the 2023-24 campaign, marking the first winning season since the 2016-17 season. The 12-win improvement over last year was the biggest turnaround in school history and one of the tops in the nation as the Titans won just 19 total games the previous six years combined. UDM's nine #HLWBB wins were also the most since the 2016-17 season, including wins over 2023-24 #HLWBB Regular Season champion Cleveland State and third-place finisher Purdue Fort Wayne. Additionally, No. 6 seed Detroit Mercy's 59-48 first-round win over No. 11 seed RMU was their first #HLWBB Championship first-round victory since the 2016-17 season.
 
Capaldi will assist in player development and comes to the Titans after spending two seasons as an Assistant Coach on the women's basketball staff at Alma College in Michigan.
 
"I'm really excited to welcome Tone [Antonio] to Detroit. He is a burst of energy that connects well with student-athletes," said Achter. "On top of that, he truly loves the game, is an active learner, and great compliment to the extremely talented staff I already have. Their chemistry enhances our program and recruiting every single day."
 
In his tenure at Alma, Capaldi aided in the development of three All-Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) selections in Taylor Sas (First Team and Second Team) and Brooke LeRoux (Second Team).
 
During the 2023-24 campaign, Capaldi helped lead the Scots to a 9-7 MIAA mark and 13-13 overall record with historic wins over two ranks opponents in No. 4 Hope College and No. 21 Wittenberg University for the first time since 1993.
 
Before Alma, Capaldi was an Assistant Coach with the Concordia (Mich.) women's basketball staff under then-Head Coach Haffey.
 
During the 2021-22 season, Capaldi helped guide the Cardinals to a 19-12 record with a 14-6 record in Wolverine Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) play. The 19 wins were the program's highest total since 2018, and the 14 conference victories were the most since 2012. The team led the WHAC in rebounding and 3-point percentage and was ranked nationally in rebounding margin, free throws made, and free throws attempted. Additionally, Capaldi helped Alize Tripp earn WHAC First-Team and National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) Third-Team honors and Julia Hurt to a WHAC All-Freshman Team selection.
 
Capaldi, a native of Eastpointe, Mich., earned a Bachelor of Arts and Science Degree from Madonna and was a student-athlete on the men's basketball team for two seasons helping the Crusaders qualify for the NAIA tournament and secure two wins over nationally ranked Indiana Tech as a senior and three additional wins over ranked opponents during his junior season.
 
Prior to Madonna, Capaldi was a student-athlete on the Macomb Community College men's basketball team that won the Michigan Community College Athletic Association (MCCAA) State Championship and qualified for the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Tournament for the first time in program history during his sophomore campaign. Additionally, he shot a season-best 5-for-5 from 3-point range against UM-Dearborn and ranked top 30 in the country in 3-point percentage as a freshman.