Saint Anselm College women’s basketball interim head coach Century McCartney announced the hiring of Hannah Nelson as an assistant coach for the program in August of 2026 and will enter her first season on the Hilltop heading into the 2026-27 season.
Nelson joins the Hawks’ coaching staff after spending the past season as the Associate Head Coach of the New England College women’s basketball team, a Division III member of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC). Prior to her promotion, she held the title of assistance coach for the Pilgrims from 2022-2025.
In four seasons at NEC, Nelson and the Pilgrims compiled 49 wins and made their conference playoffs three times. In her lone season as associate head coach, New England College had an impressive campaign, posting a 16-10 record, the program’s most wins in a single season since the 2021-22 season. Nelson also guided five Pilgrims to NECC/GNAC All-Conference honors.
The Weare, New Hampshire native played four seasons on the NEC women’s basketball team from 2016-20, appearing in 60 games for the Pilgrims. She made the conference’s All-Academic Team three times and was a part of a historic four-year run for the NEC women’s basketball program. The pilgrims went 75-36 including two 21-win seasons and two New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) Championships in both 2019 and 2020 during that stretch.
Outside of her combined eight years in Henniker, New Hampshire as a player and coach, Nelson has picked up coaching experience as an assistant coach for the Jr. Celtics Academy and also worked the Matt Bonner Basketball Camps in Concord for four years.
Nelson received a bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies and a bachelor’s degree in Sport and Recreation Management from New England College in 2020 followed by her M.B.A with a concentration in Sport and Recreation Management from NEC in 2022.
