Reiss Returns Home to New York

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Assistant Syracuse University women's basketball coach Tammi Reiss always has had her eyes on the Orange program. A native of New York, Reiss returned to the Empire State to join the Syracuse women's basketball coaching staff for the upcoming 2015-16 campaign.

"My ultimate goal was always to coach on the East Coast," stated Reiss. "I am a born-and-bred New Yorker. I couldn't be more excited to get back to the East Coast where I am from."

Reiss played at Eldred Central School from 1983-88, beginning scholastic competition as an eighth-grader. In five seasons, she scored 2,871 points, which still ranks fifth in state history. In addition, she once scored 62 points in a single contest, which ranks third all-time in New York. One of the most decorated players in the nation, Reiss would take her talents to Atlantic Coast Conference-member Virginia.

At Virginia, Reiss teamed up with South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley to form one of the best backcourts in the history of collegiate women's basketball. From 1988-92, the Cavaliers won two ACC Tournament titles and advanced to the NCAA Tournament semifinals three times. Reiss scored 1,842 points in her career en route to four All-ACC honors and two All-America recognitions.

"Those times at Virginia, we were very, very good," added Reiss. "We went to three Final Fours. We had an All-American backcourt. They were the four best years of my playing career. Playing at Virginia was the best time of my life."

Reiss was an assistant coach at Virginia before continuing her playing career with the formation of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) in 1997. Reiss was selected fifth by the Utah Starzz in the first WNBA Draft. She played two seasons with the Starzz, averaging 7.2 points, 2.7 assists, and 2.3 rebounds per contest.

In addition to her on the court success, Reiss also got into the acting business. Reiss appeared in the movie "Juwanna Mann" and television show "Sister, Sister".

"I started acting in college, my senior year," commented Reiss. "My nickname in college was Hollywood. It's always been a passion of mine. I thought I wanted to make it my career, but it seems that basketball kept knocking. I missed it and made the leap from acting, back to basketball."

Reiss joined the Starzz coaching staff from 2001-02. In 2011, she began coaching at the collegiate ranks, taking an assistant coach position at San Diego State. There, Reiss helped the Aztecs to two straight Mountain West regular season titles and an NCAA Tournament appearance. Reiss continued her stay on the West Coast when she joined Cal State Fullerton in 2013.

Following the 2014-15 season, the opportunity to get back home presented itself to Reiss when she joined head coach Quentin Hillsman's coaching staff at Syracuse. Reiss, a former guard, will work with the Syracuse frontcourt, which features All-ACC honoree Alexis Peterson and 1,000-point scorer Brianna Butler.

"I always told people there was only two programs I would leave California for," concluded Reiss. "One was Syracuse to be close to home and the other was South Carolina to coach with Dawn Staley. Fortunately, my dream came true. I am blessed it worked out."

For the latest news on the Syracuse women's basketball program, follow /SyracuseWBB on Facebook, @CuseWBB on Instagram, and @CuseWBB on Twitter.

Syracuse University Athletics

Related News

Players Mentioned

Brianna Butler

Alexis Peterson

Related Videos