Carolyn Rea joined Ed Leyden on the bench as an assistant coach prior to the 2016-17 season and enters her sixth year in 2021-22.

During her first season on the Suffolk bench, the GNAC transitioned to divisional play and it resulted in the Rams’ most victories against conference competition (12-14) since joining the GNAC ranks in 1995.  

A trio of all-conference honorees in Georgia Bourikas, Alexis Hackett and Kelsey Schiebel headline the Rams’ 22nd trip to the conference tournament, where the blue-and-gold was eliminated in the first-round to end the year, 17-9 overall. Hackett earned a program-record six GNAC Corvias Rookie of the Week nods to go along with a pair of New England Women’s Basketball Association (NEWBA) en route to become Suffolk’s first-ever GNAC Rookie of the Year by a unanimous selection. 

Suffolk was also awarded for its efforts inside the classroom with the team’s 3.519 grade point average ranking 23rd nationally in the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association Top 25 Team Honor Roll.

Rea aided in a championship run for the Rams in her second season as an assistant coach. She helped the Rams match the most conference victories (12-4) in program history to cruise to their 23rd consecutive trip to the GNAC postseason. As the third seed, Suffolk advanced to the semis where it had to go through archrival Emmanuel to reach the title tilt. Balanced by four different scorers in double figures the 2017-18 squad did something only one team in Suffolk women’s basketball history has done before, defeat the Saints to advance to the championship. The Rams came up short, falling to the top seeded Monks of Saint Joseph’s (Maine) to end their season 21-7 overall. 

Suffolk was rewarded for its success on the hardwood as a record number of Rams were recognized by the conference. Jenni-Rose DiCecco’s GNAC Rookie of the Year award highlighted the trio of student-athletes recognized with Georgia Bourikas (second team) and Alexis Hackett (third team) also being praised for their playing performances.  

To go along with the all-conference accolades, DiCecco earned a spot on the NEWBA All-Rookie Team, while Bourikas, who became the 10th-ever Ram to collect over 1,000 points and 500 rebounds, was the first-ever Ram to be selected to compete in the NEWBA All-Star Classic. 

In 2018-19, Rea helped Suffolk secure a spot in its 24th consecutive conference postseason tournament with a 9-3 league ledger, which locked up the fourth seed. The Rams defeated the fifth-seeded AMCATs of Anna Maria, 68-58, to advance to the semifinals for the second straight season and 11th time overall, but that's where the blue-and-gold's season ended to top-seeded No. 10/8 Saint Joseph's (Maine).  

The 19-8 Rams saw a pair of Rams garner all-league accolades in sophomore Jenni-Rose DiCecco (first-team) and junior Alexis Hackett (second-team). DiCecco, who led the team in points, assists and steals, became the first top-team honoree for Suffolk since 2014-15 and youngest player to grab a first-team nod since the program's all-time leading scorer Katie Norton did so in 1997-98. 

GNAC glory was up for grabs one last time for the blue-and-gold in 2019-20 as it was set to transition to the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) in 2020-21. Suffolk worked its way through an obstacle heavy season that displaced the Rams from Smith Court for the majority of second semester. Despite the ups and downs, Suffolk still managed to go 8-3 against conference counterparts to keep its goal of a GNAC title intact.  

As the fourth seed, Suffolk clinched on for a quarterfinals victory in a double-overtime marathon battle with Albertus Magnus. The semifinals sent the Rams to their Boston rival Emmanuel two days later, but the back-and-forth battle ended in the Saints favor and Suffolk’s last year in the GNAC ended at 18-9 without a banner. 

Even though the storybook ending did not come for the team, individually there were multiple milestones that were hit. All-GNAC first-team honoree Jenni-Rose DiCecco was the first to record her name in the Rams’ record book with her 1,000-point seven games into her junior season.  

Alexis Hackett, meanwhile, had her highlights come over a two-week span later on in the season. The third-team all-league selection took over the titles as the Rams’ all-time leader in blocks and rebounds before becoming the program’s 16th member of the 1K Club on her own Senior Day in a 68-42 victory over Norwich Feb. 15.  

The 2020-21 season was anything, but traditional due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. With the much anticipated switch to the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) all league outings were cancelled and teams were allowed to compete in a limit non-conferene schedule. Suffolk went near perfect in its abbreviated, eight-game season, with a 7-1 ledger. Although is was a shortened season, milestones were still hit as Jenni-Rose DiCecco became the Rams' all-time leader in assists and steals, sealing her spot atop both lists in a 71-42 victory over Curry March 12, 2021.

Rea brought her talents to Suffolk from Vassar College, where she spent the previous two years as an assistant coach and also earned her Bachelor’s degree in 2011. As an assistant for the Brewers, she was responsible for recruiting, scouting, on-court instruction, film breakdown and all film exchange. During her two seasons, she helped produce a 2015 Liberty League Co-Rookie of the Year and a unanimous First-Team All-Liberty League selection, as well as multiple first and second team honorees in 2016. 

Upon her arrival at Suffolk, Rea furthered her education with a Master’s Degree in Administration of Higher Education, which she completed December 2016, while serving as a graduate assistant for the department.

Prior to joining Vassar’s program as a coach, Rea laced up her sneakers as a player. During her four-year career she started 88 of her 99 appearances and captained the 2011 squad to the program’s first-ever Liberty League Championship and NCAA Tournament appearance.

Originally from Reading, Massachusetts, Rea attended Reading Memorial, where she played basketball and coached for a season as head coach of the junior varsity squad and assistant to the varsity team. Rea also served as an assistant for Reading’s Varsity team that won the 2013 Massachusetts Division I North title.