Swarm Staff

Alice comes to the Swarm after a variety of success within the sports industry over the past decade. She is a former four-year letter winner of the Rhode Island College Women’s Basketball team, where she was recognized as the Most Valuable Player in the 2009-2010 season and served as team captain in her senior year. Alice was involved in a program record-tying 20-7 record during her stint as an assistant coach at RIC, helping the team advance to the second round of the Little East Conference Tournament for the first time in six years. During her time at RIC, Alice was instrumental in recruiting an outstanding freshman class that played a significant role in the team’s success in 2011-12, winning both the Little East regular season and championship titles.

After leaving RIC, Alice accepted the position of top assistant coach at Nichols College in Massachusetts, where she was quickly promoted to head coach after just one season. She spent the next five years coaching at Nichols College and became the youngest NCAA head women’s basketball coach at the age of 23 in her first season. During her tenure, Alice’s team achieved postseason success twice, and several players received all-conference recognition. Alice’s team was also consistently recognized for receiving the highest team GPA on campus under her leadership.

Alice holds dual Bachelor of Arts degrees in political science and women’s studies from Rhode Island College, as well as an MBA from Nichols College, which she completed in 2014. Currently, Alice is pursuing a Ph.D. in Sport Management at Troy University, where she continues to develop her expertise in the field. Furthermore, Alice has coached at various regional camps, including the Blue Star Exposure Clinic, Boston College Women’s Basketball Camp, Hoop Mountain Exposure Camp, and the Batastini School of Basketball Camp. She also graduated from the Nike/WBCA So You Want to Be a Coach program in 2011.

Meg comes to Swarm with an extensive basketball background, having coached and played for several high-level programs. Meg’s basketball career began at South Kingstown High School, where she was named the ESPN RISE top girls basketball player in Rhode Island for the 2009-2010 season. She was a two-time Rhode Island Providence Journal 1st Team All-State selection and recognized as a McDonalds All-American nominee and a Gatorade Player of the Year nominee.

Her playing career continued at Saint Anslem College, an NCAA Division II program, as a four-year starter on the basketball team. Meg was also on the NE10 Commissioners Honor Roll for all eight semesters of her collegiate career and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Business and Sports Studies.

Following her playing career, Meg was an assistant coach at Saint Anslem and an assistant director of operations at the University of Rhode Island for their women’s basketball team. Most recently, she graduated from Castleton University with a master’s degree in Athletic Leadership and Administration.

Ashley Kepaa serves as the Girls Varsity Head Coach and Program Leader at North Attleboro High School. Prior to her position in North Attleboro, she was head coach at Bedford High School setting their schools best starting record and longest undefeated stint in program history in her first year, making the state tournament both seasons there. In addition, Ashley is the head coach of our Massachusetts Select team providing college exposure opportunities to our players playing on the girls UAA Rise circuit.

Amy Assad is a highly accomplished professional with a robust background in business administration, sport management, and marketing. In 2019, she achieved her Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from Nichols College, majoring in sport management and marketing. Throughout her undergraduate tenure, Amy actively contributed to the athletic community by participating in women’s basketball, softball, and track & field teams.

Subsequent to her undergraduate studies, Amy embarked on a successful journey from 2019 to 2021 as a graduate assistant at Smith College, serving as the assistant softball coach. Alongside coaching responsibilities, she pursued and attained a Master’s Degree of Science in Exercise & Sport Studies. In this capacity, Amy played a crucial administrative role, closely collaborating with the athletic director. Her duties included recruiting top-tier student-athletes to enhance the institution’s athletic programs.

In the 2021-2022 period, Amy returned to Nichols College as the assistant women’s basketball coach, bringing her extensive knowledge and experience to contribute to the development and execution of practice plans. Her focus centered on individual and team drills, emphasizing fundamentals and game strategy.

In the subsequent year, spanning from 2022 to 2023, Amy transitioned into the role of marketing project manager at 3STEP Sports, overseeing both basketball and combat verticals. In this role, she orchestrated large-scale paid media campaigns to promote quick-turn events and sports programming. During this period, Amy also gained invaluable operational and NCAA compliance experience through her involvement with Select Events basketball.

Mike Babul is currently an independent basketball trainer and owner of Hoop Work, LLC. Babul grew up in North Attleboro, Massachusetts and graduated from North Attleboro High School in 1996. A coaching veteran who most recently served as an assistant coach for the Long Island Nets, the G-League affiliate of the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets. He joined the Nets organization following seven seasons at Wagner College, where he spent his last four seasons as the associate head coach. He previously served as the director of basketball operations at Auburn University, the University of Texas at El Paso and Drexel University. Babul has also worked as an assistant coach at Youngstown State and as an assistant director of operations at the University of Memphis. The Massachusetts native played four collegiate seasons at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst where he served as team captain his Senior season and was a three-time selection to the Atlantic-10 All-Defensive Team and All-Academic Team. As a high school senior, he was the Massachusetts Gatorade Player of the Year, as well as the Massachusetts High School Coaches Association Player of the Year. Babul was named to the prestigious, Parade Magazine All-American Team in 1996, which honors the Top 40 prep players in the country. Throughout his coaching career he has coached and aided in the development of over 50 players that have gone on to play basketball at the professional level.

Marcus Reilly currently serves as the Assistant Women’s Basketball Coach at Division I Stonehill, and over the past four seasons, he has made his mark at Division I Bryant University. His extensive coaching experience includes eight seasons at the University of Rhode Island, where he held roles as an assistant, associate, and interim head coach. Marcus also led Rhode Island College for four years, achieving a remarkable record of 71-37 (.657), setting a new standard for the program’s success. Additionally, he has been the Head Coach at CCRI and an Assistant Coach at Division I Jacksonville State.

Kelly Thompson
Head Women’s Basketball Coach, Roger Williams University
Co-Owner, Ocean State Basketball Academy 

Kelly Thompson has been the Head Women’s Basketball Coach at Roger Williams University (RWU) since 2010, where she also serves as an Assistant Athletic Director for Compliance and Senior Woman Administrator. Thompson is the winningest coach in RWU history, boasting an impressive .692 win percentage. Under her leadership, the Hawks have made four NCAA Tournament appearances and secured multiple Conference of New England Championships. She has coached one WBCA All-American and 34 All-Conference players during her tenure at RWU. 

Before her time at Roger Williams, Thompson was an Assistant Coach at Stonehill College, contributing to five consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances for the Skyhawks. She also held roles as Head Coach and Sports Information Director at Division III Russell Sage College and as an Assistant Coach at Maine Maritime Academy. 

Thompson’s commitment to the sport extends beyond the sidelines. She served for five years on the Division III NCAA Women’s Basketball Committee and is an active member of the WBCA. As a coach, she emphasizes building meaningful relationships with her players and staff, centering her approach on character, passion, and selflessness. 

As a collegiate athlete, Thompson was a standout player at Springfield College, earning WBCA Honorable Mention All-American and NSCA All-American honors. She was also named NEWMAC Player of the Year, leading her team to two NEWMAC championships and NCAA Tournament appearances. She has a bachelor’s degree in Sports Management from Springfield, and completed her master’s degree in Sports Leadership at Northeastern University. 

Beyond her coaching duties, Thompson is deeply involved in the Bristol, RI community. Through her organization, Ocean State Basketball Academy, she offers clinics, leagues, and individual lessons for youth, aiming to foster basketball development in the area. She shared her enthusiasm for this endeavor, stating, “I’m incredibly excited to join the Swarm basketball organization. Their strong emphasis on player development and their understanding of the need for family flexibility truly sets them apart. They are dedicated to creating meaningful opportunities for players to grow their game, and I believe our partnership will be instrumental in filling the basketball void that currently exists in the East Bay. I can’t wait to be a part of growing the game in this area of Rhode Island.” 

Kelly lives in Bristol, RI, with her wife, Kaitlyn, and their two children, Makenna and Brennan. 

Founder/Director- Burns Elite, Official Training Partner of CT Swarm

Courtney Burns is a highly accomplished collegiate coach and the Director of Burns Elite. She is currently entering her third season as the Head Women’s Basketball Coach at Post University (NCAA Division II), where she has already guided the program to a CACC Regular Season Championship and developed multiple All-Conference standouts.

Prior to Post, Burns spent six seasons building a championship culture at Mitchell College (NCAA Division III), leading the program to back-to-back NECC Tournament titles—the first in school history—and two NCAA Tournament appearances. She was twice named NECC Coach of the Year and remains the program’s all-time wins leader with 76 victories. Her leadership has produced numerous individual honors including Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Rookies of the Year, and multiple All-Conference and All-Region selections.

A native of Rockland, Massachusetts, Burns has coached at every level of NCAA competition, with previous assistant roles at Southern New Hampshire, Southern Connecticut State, and Johnson & Wales. As a former standout player at Rhode Island College, she was a two-year captain and helped lead her team to a Little East Conference Championship and NCAA Tournament appearance.

Burns also brings expertise in strength and conditioning, holding a degree in mathematics and coaching from Rhode Island College and a master’s in sports management from Southern New Hampshire University.

At the core of Burns Elite is her proven ability to develop athletes, build winning teams, and foster a competitive, growth-minded environment.

• 6 straight 20+ win seasons
• 3 PSAL City Championships
• 4 Brooklyn Borough Titles
• 1 New York State Championship

• 3rd Year with Delaware Swarm
• Current Varsity Basketball Coach at Christiana High School
• Former Assistant Girls Varsity Coach at Mckean High School
• Former Boys Varsity Assistant at Concord High School
• 10+ Years of Coaching Experience
• Wilmington, DE Native