University of Massachusetts Boston Women’s Basketball faced a tough challenge in finding a new head coach for the 2015-2016 season. After short notice, Roxbury native Kristina Baugh replaced former head coach Courtney Mattingly.
Baugh was a student athlete at Providence College and has much experience in coaching. Her first coaching job was at Winston-Salem State University in North Carolina for three years. Then she moved to New Jersey to coach for the New Jersey Institute of Technology.
She continued her coaching success becoming a head coach for the Men’s American Basketball Association. Her team was the Carolina Cheetahs, and their home court was at the University of North Carolina, Greensboro. 
Baugh is one of few women in the basketball coaching industry to have the experience of coaching men and women, making her expertise in the sport all the better. Her major observation on the difference between the two was that “Men feel good when they play well; women play well when they feel good.” 
Baugh coached three years at Central Connecticut State University before she finally ended up here at UMass Boston. Her first season with the Beacons is going quite well, as their season is currently 13-9 and 5-6 in conference, although transitioning to a new team is always tough. “I feel good. Change is always going to be hard — changing the culture, the style of play, but the girls finally bought into where we’re trying to go and it’s starting to show now.”
Baugh has already seen major changes from the beginning of the season to now. “Trust is a big change, from player to player and from coaches to players, also the communication. Our foundation is built on communication so we can all be on the same page which is to be great.”
During practice, Baugh emphasizes key words “defend, rebound, communicate” and before games they chant “focus, fight, finish, family” to keep her players’ mindset on the game. The returners set the tone for the team and are expected to show newcomers how success looks like on and off the court.
Not only has Baugh instilled new methods of motivation and dedication in her team, she also supports their lives outside of basketball and helps them in any way that she can. “Out of season, I try to get my players internships with the connections I have around here, since I’m from here. I just see it as if you don’t leave UMass Boston with a bigger network than when you came in, why even go there? I feel as if it’s a part of my job to help these young women pursue their careers post-college.”
The relationship with her players has grown and continues to develop. Her players are receptive to her, which can be accredited to her stress on communication. “Every coach is different, but I do force communication when it’s not there, which is new to them. If I notice a player is ignoring me, I will call them into my office to talk it out.”
Baugh plans on making her experience at UMass Boston a championship caliber program. Recruitment for next year will include about four to five new players to help the returners grow, and also challenge them to be better players. With Baugh’s tenacity, making her team work hard, stay motivated, and stay committed will surely result in much anticipated success from UMass Boston’s Women’s Basketball now and for years to come.