Winthrop University Athletics

Head women's basketball coach Semeka Randall Lay announced the hiring of AnnMarie Gilbert as an assistant coach in July of 2022.

Gilbert comes to Winthrop from Detroit Mercy, where she served as the head coach during the 2020-21 season.

"I'm elated to have one of the best recruiters and winners in the game as a part of my staff", said head coach Semeka Randall Lay. "I've known AnnMarie Gilbert for 18 years. We've shared one of my best coaching moments together. We were both assistant coaches together competing in the National Championship in 2005. When this opportunity presented itself, I knew without a doubt that I wanted her on my staff. Having a seasoned veteran like AnnMarie will offer so much knowledge and great wisdom to continue to assist with growing this program in the right way."

Prior to coming to Winthrop, Gilbert served stints at Detroit and Virginia Union. Gilbert spent the 2020-21 season as head coach at Detroit where she produced the fourth leading scorer in the Horizon League and her team ranked third in the conference in both steals (8.71) and free throw percentage (71.9%) while also maintaining an overall 3.2 team GPA. 

Before heading to Detroit, Gilbert served as head coach at Virginia Union from 2015-2020 where she compiled an overall record of 135-18 and was a relentless and tireless recruiter. During her tenure at VUU, Gilbert produced four different Players of the Year including one Division II National Player of the Year and two Defensive Players of the Year.  Her teams won three CIAA titles, five CIAA Northern Division titles, two Atlantic Region titles, made five NCAA Tournament appearances, one Elite Eight and made one National Championship game appearance. Gilbert was three times the CIAA Coach of the Year, two times the National Sports Media Association Coach of the Year, and HBCU Coach of the Year. 

Prior to Virginia Union, Gilbert led Eastern Michigan to an overall record of 94-64 while winning 2 MAC West titles, earning two WNIT bids, along with one MAC Tournament championship and one NCAA Tournament appearance. 

Before her appointment at Eastern Michigan, Gilbert served as assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Michigan State and helped the program to a record of 120-44 in five years, along with one Big Ten title, one Big Ten Tournament title, one NCAA Regional title, and a National Championship runner-up finish.

"I am very grateful for the opportunity that coach Randall Lay has given me to join her staff and rebuild Winthrop women's basketball into a championship program," Gilbert stated. "She is a rising star in the women's game with great energy and vision for future success. We have a talented recruiting class coming in and I can't wait to get started."

She graduated from Oberlin College with a bachelor's degree in sociology before completing a master's degree in education at Cleveland State University.