Jennifer Payes enteres her second season at Monmouth under Coach Gaitley as the associate head coach of the women’s basketball program after serving as an assistant coach for six seasons at Long Island University. Payes, who assists in the day-to-day operation of the program, was the first person hired as an assistant by head coach Stephanie V. Gaitley, who guided Payes at Saint Joseph’s. Payes, who is the recruiting coordinator and also will be in charge of scheduling, in addition to working with the frontcourt players, will help find the ideal student-athlete to take MU to the top of the Northeast Conference.
“Jen has a great future as a head coach,” said Gaitley. “She has a great knowledge of the game and great teaching skills. She was one of my top defensive players at Saint Joe’s and understands my defensive system and will do a great job of conveying it to the team.”
Payes was part of an incredible run at Saint Joseph’s from 1995-99 that saw the school clinch two Atlantic 10 Conference titles, two NCAA Tournament berths and a Women’s National Invitation Tournament appearance. Strong defense was a staple for Payes as a player and that mindset helped Long Island improve to one of the top defensive squads in the Northeast Conference under her watch.
A defensive standout for a defense-oriented program, Payes was captain and Most Valuable Player for the Hawks as a senior. She was named the team’s Unsung Hero as a junior and Most Improved Player as a freshman. Payes helped Saint Joseph’s post a 26-5 mark as a sophomore in 1996-97 and a 23-8 record as a senior in 1998-99. Those clubs notched two of the three highest wins totals in Gaitley’s 10 seasons at Saint Joseph’s and both won the A-10 title.
A 1999 graduate of Saint Joseph’s, Payes earned a Bachelor of Science degree in marketing. The College Park, Md., native and former Jennifer Greenwell married Mark Payes in August 2003. They are the proud parents of Matthew (the Bean), age 2, and reside in Howell.
