After serving as the head coach of the Allegheny women's basketball team for 14 seasons, Kate Costanzo was named an Assistant Athletic Director. Costanzo continues in the roles of Senior Woman Administrator, NCAA Athletics Diversity and Inclusion Designee and College Ombuds.
As a coach, she guided her teams to the championship game in the NCAC Tournament three times, sending the Gators into the title tilt during the 2008-09, 2010-11, and 2015-16 seasons.
During her time leading the Gators, Costanzo has mentored over 25 All-NCAC performers. In addition, Costanzo has helped six Allegheny athletes break the 1,000 point plateau, as Delany Arbore '19 became the most recent member, following the foundation built by Emma Pellicano '15, Daryl Ford, Heidi Goeller ’12 and Jill Gregory ’11.
Prior to arriving at Allegheny, Costanzo served as a business analyst for the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education for two years. She also spent the 2006-07 season on the Dickinson College women’s basketball staff as a volunteer assistant coach. That year, the Red Devils posted a 22-6 record and advanced to the NCAA Tournament.
A native of Manorville, Pa. and a 2002 graduate of Penn State Erie - The Behrend College, Costanzo was a two-year All-Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) selection for the Lady Lions. During her freshman campaign, she helped the Lions win their first-ever AMCC title. In 2000, Costanzo helped Behrend to the ECAC Tournament, leading the team to the second NCAA Tournament berth in program history in 2001.
Costanzo ranks fourth on Lions’ all-time scoring list with 1,055 points, averaging 10.0 points per game during her career. Two of her teams, the 1998-99 and 2000-01 squads, were inducted into the Penn State-Behrend Hall of Fame.
Costanzo earned a Masters of Arts degree in Student Affairs and Higher Education from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. An active member in the coaching ranks, Costanzo is a member of the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA), and has been selected to serve as the North Coast Athletic Conference Captain for the WBCA since the 2010-11 season. Costanzo also serves on the WBCA USA TODAY/ESPN Top 25 committee.  She also most recently graduated from the NCAA Women Coaches Academy in 2011. The academy is designed to develop women’s coaches of all sports and levels in all aspects of the coaching profession.
The Allegheny women’s basketball program is in its 39th year of existence. Gator teams have combined to produce 560 wins and a .606 winning percentage. Allegheny has captured six NCAC regular season championships as well as five conference tournament crowns.
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