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.

Introducing Emily Sauls, our esteemed Regional Director, whose passion for sports and leadership is unparalleled. Emily earned her stripes as a four-year letter winner in collegiate lacrosse at Plymouth State University, showcasing her dedication and skill on the field.

With a wealth of experience, Emily has significantly contributed to the sports community. Previously serving as a Club Basketball Director at 3Step Sports, she demonstrated her commitment to fostering excellence in athletic programs. Currently, as the Head Coach for Storm Lacrosse, Emily continues to shape and inspire young talents on the lacrosse field. Her previous role at Austin Prep Lacrosse further underscores her comprehensive understanding of the sport and commitment to its growth.

Emily’s dynamic background, blending collegiate success, administrative expertise, and coaching acumen, positions her as an invaluable leader in our organization. We are thrilled to have her on board as our Regional Director, confident in her ability to drive excellence and foster a thriving sports community.

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.

• Former NBA Player with the Phoenix Suns
• Former Professional Player in Greece and China
• Former Men’s Basketball Player at the University of Louisville
• One of Louisville’s all-time leaders in career steals
• Ranks 3rd in Career Dunks at Louisville
• In addition to overseeing the Iowa Swarm Boys Program, Coach Alvin is the Head Coach of the Swarm Select team, providing college exposure opportunities for players

• Former Men’s Basketball Player at the University of Northern Colorado
• Played Professional Basketball for 5+ seasons
• Camanche High School Girls JV and Assistant Varsity Coach (2018-2020)
• Price of Peace Catholic School Coach, Boys and Girls Program (2017-2018)
• Townsville Head AAU Basketball Coach (Australia)

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.

PJ Thibodeau joined Swarm Basketball as the Girls Director of the Rhode Island Swarm program in 2018 before being promoted to New England Girls Director in 2022. PJ came to Swarm Basketball with an extensive background in youth basketball as the Director of the Cranston Youth Basketball Association and the Travel Basketball Coordinator. PJ’s playing experience began as co-captain of the St. Raphael Academy Basketball Team followed by captain of the West Point Preparatory School basketball team, before playing 4 years on the Rhode Island College Men’s Basketball team.

• 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

• A Maryland native with an extreme passion for helping others achieve their dreams.
• Attended Salem University (WV), where he was the team’s second-leading scorer and ranked top 5 in the conference in steals.
• Graduated Magnum Cum Laude with a degree in sports management
• Played Professional basketball in Australia, Mexico, and Dallas during a 4-year career.
•  2017 Waratah Scoring Title Avg. 25 ppg and Teams MVP.
• A former 12u basketball coach in Australia.

• A Chicago native attended Crane High School and graduated from Curie Metro High in 2006. 
• Coach Davis Sr. has been serving the youth of Chicago since 2008. 
• Currently serving as the Dean of Culture & Climate/Athletic Director at Ombudsman Educational services 
• A Park Forest Rec League Coach Seven Seasons
• Coach of The Year 2012, Coached Champion Teams 2012, 2013
• Middle school and elementary coach for five years
• Founder of Chicago Basketball Association est. 2019
• ISBE Certified, IHSA Certified, and CPR Certified 2020

Brittany is a NOVA native and has been involved in sports and fitness practically her whole life thus far. She attended Bishop O’Connell High School, competing in the WCAC and earning Varsity letters in track and basketball. She received her BSBA in Marketing from The Catholic University of America and her MBA from American University.

In addition to running her own Digital Marketing company, Brittany is a Certified Personal Trainer and USA Basketball Gold Licensed Coach. She has experience in training and coaching all age groups, from elementary to the college level. Brittany was the Varsity Girls Basketball Assistant Coach at Colgan High School in 2021-2024. Prior to Colgan, she was the JV Head Coach for the Girls Basketball Program at Battlefield High School, as well as a Varsity Assistant in 2019-2021. Brittany has been coaching both school and AAU basketball since 2017. Currently, Brittany is the Virginia Program Director and a coach for Swarm Basketball, representing the state in the organization’s Mid Atlantic division. She also provides basketball skills and development training, as well as performance training, to athletes of all ages and levels throughout the year.

Brittany enjoys teaching through her personal experience and giving back to the community with her passion for basketball and physical fitness. When she’s not coaching or training, Brittany offers workshops and seminars to student-athletes and coaches to share her insights on a variety of topics, such as college recruitment and mental performance. Brittany believes in working the mind and the body simultaneously. “It’s all a mind game. Believe you can, work hard, and you will achieve greatness. It all starts with YOU!”

Growing up in Waynesboro, VA I spent countless amounts of hours in the gym playing in youth basketball leagues, middle school ball, and 2-years as a varsity basketball player at Waynesboro High school. I was a role-playing shooting guard for the Little Giants boys’ basketball team during my high school playing days under Hall of Fame head coach C. Jay DeWitt and went on to Mary Baldwin University to study Marketing and Communications.

Recently, I’ve decided to continue my education by enrolling into James Madison University’s Adult Degree program, working to expand on my experiences to make myself better suited for continued growth.

Over the years, I’ve also gained a lot of experience working and leading basketball camps/clinics, as well as having 10+ years of experience coaching and being a certified VHSL basketball official.

Now 27 years old and working as the Assistant General Manager at Horizons Edge Sports Campus (& club director for VA Swarm in our new region), my journey has come full circle.

At Horizons Edge, my main responsibilities include many operational and developmental duties. Those include overseeing and driving our adult leagues and tournaments, special events, and youth sports offerings. In addition to those responsibilities, I lead with the guidance of our General Manager (Jeff Frank) in overseeing community engagements/partnerships, business development and all things related to the revenue generating side of the facility operations.

I’ve been an athlete and have worked in the athletics and sports world my entire life. For me, I know that I have been destined to serve the local community through athletics since the age of 14 – It’s what I am most passionate about, and I couldn’t see myself doing anything else that is as fulfilling as my career in athletics.