One of the most important aspects of building a program is continuity on the coaching staff. In Emily Buccilla, Stetson head coach Manoj Khettry has that and more.
Buccilla begins her fourth season as the top assistant for Khettry in 2017. The Pickerington, Ohio, native touches nearly every aspect of the Hatters’ program, including recruiting, evaluating, scouting, camps and clinics, game day preparations and more. She also recently earned her NSCAA National Diploma
“Emily is involved with every aspect and nearly every decision we make in our program,” Khettry said. “I value her opinion, insight and tactical knowledge of the game. I’m so proud of how Emily has developed as an assistant coach: she is professional, hard-working, loyal, innovative and smart. She adds real value to our program and she has been a big part of the improvement this program has made in the time she has been with us. I hope she continues to be a Hatter for a long time.”
On the coaching front, Buccilla is specifically responsible for working with Stetson’s attackers. Her work with current junior Sarah Collins helped Collins turn in an historic season in 2015 when she tied the school record with 12 goals and earned first-team All-Atlantic Sun Conference honors.
Khettry and Buccilla’s relationship predates their time at Stetson, as Buccilla played for Khettry at St. Bonaventure from 2008-11. Prior to her time in DeLand, she served as the girls’ head varsity coach at Canal Winchester High School in Winchester, Ohio. In addition to her duties at CWHS, Buccilla also coached the Barcelona Ohio FC U12 & U13 club teams.
Buccilla has been coaching since graduating from St. Bonaventure with a Bachelor’s degree in Visual Arts in 2012. She spent one year as head coach of the U12 Pickerington (Ohio) Blast, and was the assistant girls track coach at Ridgeview Junior High and the junior varsity girls’ soccer coach at Pickerington North High School.
“The opportunity to coach under someone I played for is exciting,” said Buccilla. “I had a great experience playing for Manoj. The atmosphere at Stetson is a huge plus. Stetson is very similar to St. Bonaventure as far as the feel of the college, and the support from the campus community. This is a good fit for me.”
Buccilla was a four-year letter winner and team captain at St. Bonaventure where she was part of the winningest senior class in SBU history, the first senior class to go to four straight Atlantic 10 Championships.
