DePaul removes interim title, names Jill M. Pizzotti women's basketball coach succeeding Doug Bruno

DePaul didn't look far for its next head women's basketball coach.

The university announced Thursday it removed the interim title from Jill M. Pizzotti, naming her the sixth head coach in Blue Demon women's basketball history. She succeeds her long-time mentor and legendary coach Doug Bruno.

She will be formally introduced during a press conference at Wintrust Arena on Tuesday, April 15.

"I am thrilled to have the opportunity to lead the DePaul women's basketball program," Pizzotti said in a statement. "Working to fulfill the vision of legendary coach Doug Bruno is an honor. We want to bring DePaul women’s basketball back to national prominence and use the energy and momentum in our great sport now to reach new heights."

What to know about Jill M. Pizzotti

Pizzotti is no stranger to the DePaul program.

She joined the Blue Demons women's program as an assistant prior to the 2011-12 season. In her decade as an assistant at DePaul, the Demon's have won six Big East regular season championships, won five Big East tournament championships and earned 10 berths in the NCAA Tournament. Pizzotti was elevated to associate head coach in 2014.

This past season, after Bruno suffered a medical event in the offseason, Pizzotti took over as DePaul's interim head coach. As the interim head coach, she had a 13-19 overall record, but showed some mettle with an 8-10 record in Big East play.

"This season, I had the opportunity to see Jill in a new light as Interim Head Coach, and I was especially impressed by her ability to teach, lead, and build consensus among the young women in our program," Vice President and Director of Athletics DeWayne Peevy said in a statement. "She knows exactly what it takes to compete at a championship level, and she has the recruiting ability, player development expertise, and motivational leadership to bring the best to Chicago and keep them here. Jill understands the direction this program needs to go, and I have full confidence in her ability to continue the championship standard we’ve come to expect for our women’s basketball program at DePaul."

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - FEBRUARY 23: Interim head coach Jill Pizzotti of the DePaul Blue Demons looks on before a game against the Creighton Bluejays at Wintrust Arena on February 23, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Geoff Stellfox/Getty Images)

Jill M. Pizzotti's basketball experience

Pizzotti has copious amounts of experience under her belt as a coach and in basketball.

Before coaching at DePaul, Pizzotti was the head coach at Saint Louis from 1995-2005. She led the Billikins to their first-ever postseason appearance in the WNIT and became the second winningest coach in program history.

After leaving SLU, Pizzotti was Nike's Manager of Women’s College Basketball from 2005 to 2010 before returning to the coaching ranks in the 2010-2011 season as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at West Virginia. She also spent time as an assistant coach at Northern Kentucky and Indiana before taking over at SLU.

What this means for DePaul

She now takes over a DePaul program in a new era of college athletics. She'll need to have an acute understanding of NIL, the transfer portal and the modern game of basketball as she takes over the position that Bruno leaves after 39 years and over 700 wins.

What is clear, though, is that DePaul trusts Pizzotti.

There have been plenty of younger coaches who have been hired during this women's basketball coaching cycle. Kellie Harper was a free agent with plenty of NCAA Tournament experience; she now coaches Missouri. Molly Miller was the hottest coaching name in women's basketball; she now coaches Arizona State. Some candidates that would have fit had already taken jobs; Robin Pingeton had knowledge of the Midwest, but Wisconsin hired her.

Pizzotti's recruiting acumen, and the potential it has to grow, is something DePaul was familiar with. The university is giving her a chance to grow it even further.

"Jill Pizzotti is the right leader at the right time for DePaul Women’s Basketball," Peevy said in a statement. "Her vast experience at the highest levels of the game — both as a head coach and a key figure in high-major programs — sets her apart even before you factor in her longstanding work at DePaul."