College of Saint Rose Athletics

Karen Haag, who has served as the head women's basketball coach for the past 19 seasons, officially assumed the new position of Associate Athletic Director and Senior Woman Administrator, on March 15, 2020.
 
Haag will now oversee a variety of department-wide responsibilities including student-athlete success and well-being, recruiting, academic monitoring, community service, sport supervision oversight, and as the advisor to the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
 
"It is with tremendous gratitude and appreciation, that I accept Karen's decision to step away from coaching to focus on her administrative role within athletics. In her 19 years as the leader of our women's basketball program, Karen has demonstrated her commitment to bringing out the best in our student-athletes by fostering a culture of winning on and off the court. On behalf of all Golden Knights, past and present, we thank Coach Haag for all she has done for Saint Rose women's basketball and welcome her into her new role as Associate Athletic Director and Senior Woman Administrator," said Lori Anctil, Associate Vice President and Director of Athletics, at the time of her appointment.
 
Haag guided Saint Rose to three 20-win campaigns, four NCAA Championship Tournament berths, and 11 Northeast-10 Conference Postseason Championship appearances throughout her head coaching tenure.
 
A strong advocate of community service, Haag is a co-founder of Camp Bravehearts, which is a series of retreats designed for women who have been diagnosed with cancer. Haag, who is a cancer survivor herself, has also been involved with "Coaches vs Cancer" for the American Cancer Society.
 
Haag was selected to represent the Capital Region at the National Jefferson Awards Ceremony in recognition of public service at the end of the 2011-12 academic year. In 2008, Haag received the Make a Difference Award from the Susan G. Komen Foundation, an honor that is given once per-year to an outstanding individual who has made a difference in the lives of individuals facing breast cancer.
 
Haag, who is the Chair of the NCAA East Region Women's Basketball Regional Advisory Committee, arrived at Saint Rose in 2001-02 after spending 10 years as the head coach at Wilkes University following a two-year stint at SUNY-Delhi.
 
Haag graduated from SUNY Oneonta in 1984 with a degree in English and Secondary Education. She also holds a master's degree in Curriculum Planning and Development from the University at Albany.
 
A star player in her own right, Haag is among Oneonta State's all-time leaders in scoring, assists and steals. The team's Most Valuable Player following both her junior and senior seasons, Haag garnered All-Conference accolades from the SUNYAC as a senior. She was also the first female basketball player to be inducted into the school's Athletic Hall of Fame.