Coaches
Tara Ruckh - Head Coach
Tara Ruckh begins her seventh season as head women’s basketball coach at SUNY Potsdam. Her teams have demonstrated continual improvement during her previous three seasons.
Last season, Ruckh coached senior guard Aimee Kellicutt to a place on the All-SUNYAC third team. Kellicutt finished in conference's top 10 in scoring (12.1 points per game), assists (2.92 per game), free throw percentage (.763), steals (2.52 per game) and minutes played (30.4 per game).
In 2009-10, the Bears reached the SUNYAC Tournament quarterfinals. Under Ruckh's guidance, Cortney Poirier, the program's all-time leading scorer, received her second straight first team All-SUNYAC selection and her third all-conference mention.
In 2008-09, the women's team finished with 17-12 tally as it completed one of the best years in the history of women's basketball at SUNY Potsdam. The Bears advanced to the championship game of the 2009 SUNYAC Tournament and appeared the ECAC Tournament.
In her initial season with the Bears, Ruckh took a team with eight freshman and two sophomores and made it competitive in the very tough SUNYAC. The Bears recorded their first conference wins in nearly two years, and were in contention for a SUNYAC playoff spot until the last week of the season.
Prior to taking the helm of the Potsdam program in 2005, Ruckh was the top assistant to Dan Raymond at Ithaca College. During her tenure with Ithaca, the women tallied a 109–30 record while winning four Empire Eight Conference Championships. Ithaca made five consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances during that time. Ruckh was also an assistant coach for women's lacrosse and women's outdoor track and field while at Ithaca.
A 1999 graduate of SUNY Cortland, Ruckh was a two-year captain for the women’s basketball team. Under Ruckh's leadership, the women finished 26-2 while winning the 1999 SUNYAC championship and making their first NCAA tournament appearance. During her four-year career at Cortland, Ruckh averaged 7.2 points and 4.9 rebounds.
Coach Ruckh was also an assistant coach and head JV coach at Cortland for one season prior to her appointment at Ithaca. In 2001, Ruckh completed her master's in education at Cortland. A native of South Dayton, Ruckh played on three New York State PHSAA championship teams at Pine Valley Central School.
Moe Curley - Assistant Coach
Moe Curley enters her second season as an assistant coach for the SUNY Potsdam women’s basketball team.
A 2009 Potsdam graduate, Curley returns to her alma mater after serving as assistant women’s basketball coach at SUNY Canton. While at Canton, Curley had roles in practice coordination, game strategy, recruiting and video review.
During her four-year career with the Bears women’s basketball team, Curley scored over 900 points and grabbed nearly 700 rebounds, and started 101 of the 105 games she played in. She is among the program’s all-time leaders in scoring (fifth) and rebounding (third), and was a key member of the 2008-09 team which made it to the SUNYAC Tournament championship game. Curley was also a four-year member of the women’s soccer program, tallying three goals and six assists in 63 matches as a defender. She served as captain in both sports during her senior year.
Curley also served as a personal basketball coach in Potsdam and the women’s head modified soccer coach at Gouverneur Central School. She has worked basketball camps at SUNY Potsdam in every summer since 2006.
Curley received her bachelor’s in psychology and her coaching certification from SUNY Potsdam in 2009. She will pursue a master’s in organizational leadership from Potsdam.