Hannah Early Vaughn '16 Returns to Davidson as Assistant Coach
5/26/2026 2:56:00 PM | Women's Basketball
DAVIDSON, N.C. – The Davidson College women's basketball program announced Tuesday that Hannah Early Vaughn '16 is joining the staff as an assistant coach. A former standout player for the Wildcats, Vaughn returns to her alma mater after previously serving as an assistant coach at Yale.
"We are absolutely thrilled to welcome 2016 graduate Hannah Early Vaughn back to the Davidson family," said head coach Gayle Fulks. "Having Hannah join our staff is a full-circle moment for this program; she embodies everything it means to be a Wildcat. In the current landscape of college athletics, we felt that bringing in a coach who has a deep understanding of Davidson's unique blend of athletic and academic excellence was imperative, making Hannah a no-brainer addition to our group. I have followed Hannah's growth in college coaching over the past several years at Connecticut College and Yale University, and I have been impressed with her professionalism, ability to connect and develop relationships, and passion for developing scholar-athletes."
Early Vaughn rejoins the program after spending three seasons at Yale as an assistant coach and the team's recruiting coordinator, helping sign two All-Ivy league honorable mentions and three CSC Academic All-District selections.
She consistently coached the Bulldogs into the Ivy League's top ranks across several statistical categories, including leading the conference in blocks during the 2025–26 season and securing top-three ranks in offensive rebounding for both the 2023–24 and 2024–25 seasons. She also engineered impressive year-to-year improvement, seeing multi-percentage point leaps in field goal, 3-point, and free throw efficiency.
Prior to Yale, Vaughn spent three seasons at Connecticut College as assistant coach. She molded the Camels into one of the NESCAC's best defensive teams, finishing fourth in points allowed per game each year (53.8 in 2022-23, 58.0 in 2021-22).
A five-year player at Davidson, Vaughn remains one of the most decorated players in program history, ending her career fourth in program history in scoring (1,406 points). She ranked in the top 15 all-time in nine categories overall, including first in made 3-pointers (231) and seventh in total rebounds (650).
As a player, she contributed to consecutive 22-win seasons, which tied for the second-most single-season victories in program history. During the 2011–12 and 2012–13 campaigns, the Wildcats dominated Southern Conference play with a combined 33-7 record, securing back-to-back berths in the WNIT.
In the 2013–14 season, she was selected to the media's All-SoCon Second Team. As a senior, she also received the Rebecca E. Stimson Award, an annual honor recognizing a female athlete for exceptional dedication and contribution to intercollegiate sports.
"As a proud alumna and former student-athlete, the opportunity to return to Davidson as a coach means the world to me," said Early Vaughn. "I'm excited for the chance to give back to the program and community that played such an important role in my personal, academic and athletic growth. I look forward to supporting and mentoring the next generation of Davidson student-athletes and contributing to the place that gave me so much."
"We are absolutely thrilled to welcome 2016 graduate Hannah Early Vaughn back to the Davidson family," said head coach Gayle Fulks. "Having Hannah join our staff is a full-circle moment for this program; she embodies everything it means to be a Wildcat. In the current landscape of college athletics, we felt that bringing in a coach who has a deep understanding of Davidson's unique blend of athletic and academic excellence was imperative, making Hannah a no-brainer addition to our group. I have followed Hannah's growth in college coaching over the past several years at Connecticut College and Yale University, and I have been impressed with her professionalism, ability to connect and develop relationships, and passion for developing scholar-athletes."
Early Vaughn rejoins the program after spending three seasons at Yale as an assistant coach and the team's recruiting coordinator, helping sign two All-Ivy league honorable mentions and three CSC Academic All-District selections.
She consistently coached the Bulldogs into the Ivy League's top ranks across several statistical categories, including leading the conference in blocks during the 2025–26 season and securing top-three ranks in offensive rebounding for both the 2023–24 and 2024–25 seasons. She also engineered impressive year-to-year improvement, seeing multi-percentage point leaps in field goal, 3-point, and free throw efficiency.
Prior to Yale, Vaughn spent three seasons at Connecticut College as assistant coach. She molded the Camels into one of the NESCAC's best defensive teams, finishing fourth in points allowed per game each year (53.8 in 2022-23, 58.0 in 2021-22).
A five-year player at Davidson, Vaughn remains one of the most decorated players in program history, ending her career fourth in program history in scoring (1,406 points). She ranked in the top 15 all-time in nine categories overall, including first in made 3-pointers (231) and seventh in total rebounds (650).
As a player, she contributed to consecutive 22-win seasons, which tied for the second-most single-season victories in program history. During the 2011–12 and 2012–13 campaigns, the Wildcats dominated Southern Conference play with a combined 33-7 record, securing back-to-back berths in the WNIT.
In the 2013–14 season, she was selected to the media's All-SoCon Second Team. As a senior, she also received the Rebecca E. Stimson Award, an annual honor recognizing a female athlete for exceptional dedication and contribution to intercollegiate sports.
"As a proud alumna and former student-athlete, the opportunity to return to Davidson as a coach means the world to me," said Early Vaughn. "I'm excited for the chance to give back to the program and community that played such an important role in my personal, academic and athletic growth. I look forward to supporting and mentoring the next generation of Davidson student-athletes and contributing to the place that gave me so much."
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