Fordham University Women's Basketball head coach, Stephanie Gaitley, has amassed 562 career wins making her the third-winningest coach in Atlantic 10 history.

When Gaitley stepped foot on the Fordham basketball court, the women's basketball program hadn't seen a winning season in two decades. Gaitley turned the program around and transformed Fordham collecting three consecutive 20-win seasons and bringing home the school's first-ever Atlantic 10 Women's Basketball Championship in 2013-14. Gaitley has since led a team to the NCAA Tournament eight times and seen five conference titles.

Along the way, Gaitley was named the 2013 Maggie Dixon Metropolitan Coach of the Year by the Met Basketball Writers Association, became the second-winningest coach in program history with 84 wins, and has had three players drafted or in camp with WNBA teams.

Gaitley also has experience coaching for the United States national team, serving as an assistant in 2000 when the team won the gold medal and was the head coach of the West Team at the 1995 U.S. Olympic Festival, where her team won a silver medal.

Before coaching at Fordham, Gaitley coached at Monmouth University, Long Island University, Saint Joseph's University, and the University of Richmond.

2aDays: What is the most important quality you look for in a recruit? 

The character of the person, quality of the student, and someone who's a worker and a winner.

2aDays: What is the best way for a recruit to get on your radar?

Send us your schedule for AAU.

2aDays: When should an athlete contact you, what is the best way? (age, grade, time of year, email, phone, or other)

Earliest freshman year. The phone is the most impressive especially if it's the kid and not the parent.

2aDays: What are your expectations for incoming players in the classroom, in the weight room, and on the court?

100% effort.

2aDays: What are the do's and don'ts of being recruited? 

Do: Be honest.

Don't: Waste anyone's time.

2aDays: What is the best advice you can offer a recruit?

Choose a school that if you didn't play the sport, you would still attend the school.

2aDays: What really jumps out to you when reviewing a recruit's highlight tape?

Defensive presence.

2aDays: What are the main do's and don'ts for a recruit's highlight tape?

Don't just have highlights, show 1 or 2 quarters of the game. Quality is important.

2aDays: When do you recommend recruits put together and share their highlight reels? Is it best to make their highlight reel during the offseason, in the middle of the season, or after each game?

After the season.

2aDays: What advice do you have for recruits who get turned down by their dream schools? What are their options if they don't gain the recruiting attention they desire?

There's a reason for everything. I've gone through it as a Mom and it all works itself out.

2aDays: How big a factor is social media when recruiting players? What advice do you have for athletes regarding social media? 

Don't make it all about you and how many followers you have and how your personal game was.

* Originally published on March 24, 2018, by Bryan Sosoo