The Brooklyn College Bulldogs capably handled their CUNY Athletic Conference opener vs John Jay College, prevailing 74–60 last Friday. No surprise for the team that has long been a dominant force in the conference. The big change is that for the first time in two decades, the team has a new head coach. After more than 20 years, Alex Lang, the winningest women’s basketball coach in CUNYAC history, has stepped down, and Megan Campbell, an assistant coach with the Bulldogs for the past two years, has become head coach.
“It was definitely a tough matchup. John Jay is always a great program,” said Campbell. “It was a game that we were looking forward to, a rematch of the championship game (Brooklyn won 64–58 for the 2023 CUNYAC title). It’s a big game to start off conference play, and I think we really rose to the occasion.
“Obviously, it’s a lot of pressure taking over something that Alex has built over the last 20-plus years,” she added. “I played within the system (Campbell is an alumna of Brooklyn College and the Bulldogs), so…it’s an easier transition as opposed to coming in from the outside.”
Some of the top Brooklyn players thus far this season are junior point guard Alina Estrella, senior forward Sarah James, senior guard Ericka James and junior guard Suliat Afolabi, who came in this year as a transfer student. Estrella is currently the team’s leading scorer and Sarah James is the leading rebounder.
As with most coaches in the CUNYAC, Campbell has another full-time position. She is a physical education teacher for the NYC Department of Education.
“It’s definitely challenging at times, especially being in your first year [as a head coach], you’re trying to get your feet under you. But my assistant coaches have done a really good job of stepping up, such as getting the game film uploaded,” Campbell said. “So, they take a lot of the pressure off of me. It’s definitely long days and long nights, making sure that we’re prepared. You have to put the work in.”
The team has several non-conference games to close out 2023, including a road trip to Rochester, New York, for the Nazareth Tournament on December 29 and 30. CUNYAC action gets into full swing in the new year when Brooklyn College takes on Baruch College on January 3.