Former Dartmouth women's basketball stars Erin Rewalt '99 Tu'04 and Koren Schram '09 will return to their alma mater next season as members of the women's basketball staff. Rewalt will serve as an assistant coach for the team alongside head coach Chris Wielgus and assistant coach Leah Foster, while Schram will assume the role of director of basketball operations.
Both women were decorated players while at the Big Green, and as members of the staff will try to help maintain the reputaion of Dartmouth women's basketball as the all-time winningest Ivy League program.
The Big Green boasts 17 Ancient Eight titles, including four in the last six years.
Rewalt garnered All-Ivy honors during each of her four years on the team and helped the Big Green to an Ivy League Championship her senior year. As a power forward, she ended her career eighth on Dartmouth's all-time career rebounding list.
After graduating the College, Rewalt returned to Hanover to attend the Tuck School of Business before working in General Electric's real estate department from 2004-2009.
She returned to the basketball realm last year, serving as assistant coach at the College of William and Mary in Virginia. While with the Tribe, Rewalt helped develop five all-conference players.
As a Big Green assistant coach, Rewalt will have the responsibilities of coaching and developing players, but will also assist heavily with recruitment, according to Wielgus.
"She will be working heavily in the recruiting program and expanding what we have," Wielgus said. "She's got a great business background, which will help, and has a great love of the game and will be involved in the day-to-day operations."
Rewalt will replace former assistant coach Mary Gleason, who stepped down during the offseason to accept a head coaching position at Houston Baptist University. Gleason had been with the team for three years.
Schram will rejoin the program after spending last year playing professional basketball in Hveragerdi, Iceland. During her time abroad, she was named a conference all-star and led her team to the league championship series.
At Dartmouth, Schram garnered All-Ivy honors for three years and also accumulated numerous individual accolades notably the Dartmouth Class of 1976 Award for the top female athlete and was named an All-Senior All-American. She was a 1,000-point scorer and is ranked third on Dartmouth's list of all-time career three-point field goals.
Schram led the Big Green to three Ivy League Championships, including back-to-back titles in 2008 and 2009. She helped the team reach the NCAA tournament in 2006 and 2009 and the women's National Invitation Tournament in her two other years.
As director of operations, Schram will not coach the players or be able to help on the floor, as per NCAA guidelines. Instead, Schram will aid the team with day-to-day tasks and help run the program from an administrative standpoint, Wielgus said.
"She can run lock and videotape but she's not allowed to do anything on the court," Wielgus said. "She'll be limited to operations. Primarily, she will be making sure our database of recruits is up-to-date, helping with traveling and both getting film and distributing ours."
Schram will take over for Jen Goodwin, who held the position for two years before leaving the Big Green.
Wielgus said she hopes the addition of these two alumnae will help continue the program's success on the court and strengthen its loyal fan base.
"Both [Rewalt and Schram] have been a part of championship teams and helped establish a real winning tradition," she said. "They know our program and I'm delighted to have them aboard because they love the game and they love Dartmouth."
Wielgus added that the return of two former players shows a "real passion" in the women's basketball program an attractive force for potential recruits.
Schram and Rewalt could not be reached for comment by press time.
