University of Richmond Athletics
Kresge Announces Will Lanier, Sacha Santimano as Associate Head Coaches
05/07/2026 | Women's Basketball
RICHMOND, Va. – University of Richmond women's basketball head coach Alisa Kresge announced the additions of Will Lanier and Sacha Santimano as associate head coaches Thursday, marking the first two additions to her coaching staff at Richmond.
Both coaches arrive in Richmond following the 2025-26 season at Vermont, where the Catamounts captured the America East Championship and advanced to the NCAA Tournament under Kresge's leadership.
Lanier spent the last four seasons on Kresge's staff at Vermont, helping guide the Catamounts through one of the most successful stretches in program history. During his tenure, Vermont recorded four consecutive 20-win seasons, captured three America East Championships and advanced to three NCAA Tournaments.
The Catamounts secured their first outright America East regular season title since 2002 during the 2025-26 campaign while posting the program's first 27-win season since 2009-10.
Last season, Vermont led the America East in multiple statistical categories, including scoring defense, field goal percentage, field goal percentage defense, three-point percentage, three-pointers per game and fewest fouls per game.
Lanier, an Athens, Ga. native, played a key role in the development of some of the top post players in Vermont history, including Anna Olson and Nikola Priede. Olson finished her career ranked ninth in program history with 1,686 points while adding 853 rebounds and two All-Conference First Team selections. Priede concluded her career with 1,036 points and 119 career blocks, earning America East Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2025-26 along with All-Conference First Team and All-Defensive Team recognition.
"Will brings a wealth of basketball knowledge and a strong understanding of the standards required to win," Kresge said. "His relentless work ethic aligns perfectly with the expectations of our program. He has a great ability to connect with our players and contribute on both sides of the ball. His passion for the game and commitment to player development will continue to make a meaningful impact on the student-athletes we are so proud to coach."
Prior to Vermont, Lanier spent five seasons on the men's basketball staff at Niagara and five seasons on the men's side at Marist. He also served on staff at St. John's from 2004-08 after beginning his coaching career as a graduate assistant.
A graduate of Georgia Tech, Lanier earned a bachelor's degree in business management in 2004. During his time in Atlanta, he served as head manager on head coach Paul Hewitt's staff as the Yellow Jackets advanced to the 2004 Final Four and finished as the national runner-up. He later earned a master's degree in school building leadership from St. John's.
Santimano joins the Spiders after serving as associate head coach under Kresge at Vermont during the 2025-26 season. She helped guide the Catamounts to an America East Championship and NCAA Tournament appearance while contributing to one of the conference's top defensive teams.
Before arriving at Vermont, Santimano spent the 2024-25 season at Marshall after serving two seasons as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Army.
During her time at Marshall, Santimano was selected as a recipient of the 2024 Cathy Inglese Legacy Coach Academy Scholarship and participated in the NCAA Women Coaches Academy, NCAA Academy 2.0 and the 2025 TopConnect Basketball Symposium.
At Army, Santimano coordinated a defense that ranked among the Patriot League leaders in steals, scoring defense, opponent efficiency, three-point defense and rebounding during the 2023-24 season. Her player development work included two All-Patriot League First Team selections, two Patriot League All-Rookie Team selections, an All-Patriot League Second Team honoree and the Patriot League Rookie of the Year.
"After working side-by-side with Sacha, it became extremely clear she's someone you always want on your team," Kresge said. "She brings a wealth of experience, a genuine passion for developing student-athletes and an exceptional work ethic. Her ability to build meaningful relationships, combined with her commitment to excellence, will be instrumental as we continue to build on the strong foundation already in place."
Prior to her time at Army, Santimano served as head coach at Bowdoin during the 2021-22 season after a 10-year tenure as head coach at Eastern Nazarene.
In addition to her coaching background, Santimano served in the United States Air Force Reserves from 2004-12 in medical logistics. She earned a bachelor's degree in exercise science from Dakota State and later completed a master's degree in teaching with physical education and health certification from the University of the Cumberlands.
