Bio

Entering her 23rd year as the head women's tennis coach at Bryant University in 2022-23, Barbara Cilli is the winningest women's tennis coach in program history.

Since taking over the program in the spring of 2000, Cilli has turned the Bulldogs into one of the top women's programs in the Northeast. Cilli has led the Bulldogs to five Northeast-10 championships, two Northeast Conference championships and seven NCAA Tournament appearances in her 22 seasons. Cilli has won 230 career matches with the Black and Gold, turning Bryant into a program that competes for championships every year. Cilli has guided the Black and Gold to the championship match of the NEC Tournament in five of the last seven seasons, winning titles in 2015 and 2022. 

Bryant was able to earn redemption in historic fashion in 2021-22, becoming the first No. 4 seed to ever win the NEC Championship. Bryant knocked off St. Francis Brooklyn in the quarters and then dethroned top-seeded LIU in the semis, becoming the first No. 4 seed to ever beat a No. 1 seed in the tournament. Bryant closed its championship run with a victory over No. 2 seed FDU in the finals. Cilli coached Caitlyn Munson to NEC Rookie of the Year honors and had three others earn All-NEC honors. Ada Boru and Leanne Kendall both earned first team singles and doubles, while Munson and teammate Olivia Rondini earned second team doubles. Bryant faced No. 2 seed Oklahoma in the NCAA Tournament, falling 4-0. 

The Bulldogs found themselves in the NEC Championship for the fourth time in six seasons in 2020-21. Bryant went 4-7 overall on the year but earned a 4-1 victory over FDU in the NEC semifinal. Bryant featured one of the NECs top duos in Ada Boru and Leanne Kendall. Boru was named All-NEC First Team in singles and teamed with Kendall to form the league's premier doubles team. In all, Bryant placed five on the All-NEC teams and had a sixth earn All-Rookie honors. 

Cilli guided the Black and Gold through an unprecedented year in 2019-20, posting a 7-5 record during the shortened season. The Bulldogs picked up victories over Fairfield, Hofstra and St. Bonaventure, and added a huge win against NEC rival LIU. 

The Bulldogs won nine matches in 2018-19, advancing to the semi-finals at the NEC Championships. Cilli coached four All-NEC selections, including a trio of NEC All-Rookie selections. The trio make up an outstanding Class of 2022.

Cilli guided the Black and Gold back to the NEC championship match for the third time in four years in 2017-18. The Bulldogs went 10-9 overall and 3-1 in NEC play, posting a winning record for the sixth time in 10 seasons at the Division I level. Bryant had five players earn All-NEC honors, with Arianna Oropeza becoming the second rookie of the year in DI program history.  

The Bulldogs fell to Fairleigh Dickinson, 4-3, in the 2017 NEC semis. Bryant posted a 6-13 overall record and 4-1 finish in league play in the 2016-17 season. Five Bulldogs earned All-NEC, including Stefanie Arroyo's First Team All-NEC selection at No. 5 singles. Juniors Ashanti Campfield and Nina Luiggi teamed up to earn their second-straight NEC honors, this year earning first team recognition at No. 2 doubles. Ryan Brown and Linnea Sjoberg each earned Second Team All-NEC at No. 6 and No. 2 singles, respectively.

In the 2015-16 season, Cilli was named NEC Coach of the Year for the second-straight season and helped the Bulldogs back to the NEC Championship as the No. 1 seed. Bryant defeated No. 8 St. Francis Brooklyn, 4-0, and No. 4 Saint Francis U., 4-0, before falling to No. 2 Fairleigh Dickinson, 4-3, in the title match, which came down to the deciding match at No. 3 singles. Eight athletes were named to the All-NEC teams, including three first-teamers in Linnea Sjoberg, Ashanti Campfield and Stefanie Arroyo. 

In 2014-15, Cilli guided the Bulldogs to their best season since joining the Division I ranks. Cilli, who was named Northeast Conference Coach of the Year for the first time in her career, led Bryant to a magical run through the NEC Championships as the second-seeded Bulldogs gave up just a single point en route to their first-ever NEC Title. Led by NEC Player of the Year Ryan Brown, Bryant earned the right to play #3 California in the NCAA Championships. In addition to Cilli and Brown, five more Bulldogs earned All-NEC honors including NEC Rookie of the Year Ashanti Campfield.

In 2013-14, Cilli led the Bulldogs to an 8-10 overall record, earning the #3 overall seed at the NEC Championships. With a convincing 4-0 win over #6 Robert Morris, Bryant picked up its first DI postseason victory, advancing all the way to the NEC Tournament Semifinals. Then-freshman Ryan Brown was named Second Team All-NEC at No. 2 singles, while Brown and then-junior Rosie Bird were tabbed as All-NEC Second Teamers at No. 1 doubles.

During the 2012-13 season, the Bulldogs compiled a 4-1 record in the Northeast Conference, good for the fourth overall seed in the NEC Tournament.

After going 10-9 during 2010-11, the Bulldogs improved to an 11-6 overall record (4-0 in the NEC) in their final season before full Division I competition (2011-12).

Under Cilli's direction, the Bulldogs captured five consecutive Northeast-10 Conference Championships from 2004 to 2008, posting undefeated records in 2004, 2005, and 2008.  In addition, the Bulldogs have advanced to the NCAA Division II Championships in each of those five years, hosting the Northeast regional in 2007-2008.

In 2007-2008, the Bulldogs posted an overall record of 24-3, including a 12-0 record in the Northeast-10. Bryant won their 5th consecutive Northeast-10 Conference Regular Season and Tournament titles, finishing off the tournament with a 5-0 sweep over St. Michael's. The squad reached the second round of the NCAA tournament before being knocked off by Slippery Rock. Cilli accomplished all of this with five new players.

The Bulldogs hosted the NCAA regional championships at the new Bryant Tennis Complex in 2006 and again in 2008.  

In 2005, Bryant posted a 22-2 overall record including a 13-match win streak that led the Bulldogs to the finals of the NCAA Northeast Regional.  Led by the play of two-time conference player of the year and ITA East Region Champion Sacha Solomon, the Bulldogs picked up their first NCAA victory with a 5-2 win over Queens (NY) in the first round.

Cilli came to Bryant in tumultuous times for the Bulldog program and gave the program stability and credibility in short order. She was hired in the spring of 2000 following the passing of former coach Anthony Wocke. Inheriting a team that had gone just 1-7 in the Northeast-10 in the year prior to her arrival, Cilli needed just two seasons to get the Bulldogs back to .500 in the conference.

Cilli's 2002-03 squad finished the season at 8-4 in the Northeast-10 and 9-9 overall, giving the Bulldogs their most wins in eight years and narrowly missing a spot in the NCAA Division II tournament.

Cilli came to Bryant after spending the 1999 fall season as an assistant coach at Providence College, where she helped the Friars to an 8-0 dual match record and a second-place showing at the New England Championships.

Cilli also has enjoyed a 25-year playing career with United States Tennis Association-sanctioned events, most recently as a member of the Fore Court Tennis Club in Cumberland, R.I. She was a three-time all-state selection as the No. 1 singles player at Cranston West High School before moving on to Providence College. At Providence, Cilli played No. 4 singles and No. 1 doubles and earned team-MVP honors in 1986.

Cilli played in the 2002 USTA women's 4.5 national tournament in San Diego.

Cilli also has worked as the assistant tennis professional at the Point Judith Country Club and the Dune's Club in Narragansett and has been employed as a financial analyst at a number of high profile companies. She received a bachelor's degree in humanities from Providence in 1987 and was awarded an MBA from that institution in 1997. She is a resident of Cumberland, R.I.