For new Merion Mercy basketball coach Shanette Lee, it’s a happy homecoming

For Merion Mercy Academy’s newly-hired basketball head coach Shanette Lee, coming back to the place where she helped the Golden Bears win their only PIAA girls basketball state title in 1995 brings back some fond memories.

“Being back at Merion Mercy is a dream come true,” said Lee, who was a player on that 1995 state championship squad. “I have always wanted to be a coach, and it is such an honor to be able to come back and coach at the place where it all started for me.

“I love that I get to be in a space where I have had great support and coaching and I know that Coach D (the late Joe D’Antonio, who coached the 1995 Merion Mercy squad) is smiling down on me right now. All I want to do is make sure that these girls have a great experience like I did. Have fun playing basketball and learn some life lessons along the way.”

Lee’s favorite memory of that 1995 championship season was cutting down the net at the old Hersheypark Arena after the PIAA Class AA state final, a 58-43 win against District 6 champion Bishop Guilfoyle.

The Golden Bears, who won the District 1 2A title that year, had an exciting road to the state title. Merion Mercy beat District 3 champion Columbia 49-47 in the quarterfinals and defeated Pine Grove 64-57 in overtime in the semifinals.

“I had a crazy season, missing so many games and being able to come back when it all was special,” said Lee. “Seeing the sea of Merion Mercy students and parents cheering us on was epic to me. Then having a parade for us down the streets of Narberth just took it to another level.”

Last month, the 1995 Merion Mercy basketball squad was inducted into the school’s new Athletic Hall of Fame.

After graduating from Merion Mercy Academy in 1995, Lee went on to play basketball for Villanova University, where she was a four-year letter winner for the Wildcats and a captain her senior year. She is Villanova’s all-time assists leader and ranks ninth all-time in steals. Lee received All-Philadelphia Big Five Honors as a freshman (Rookie of the Year) in 1996, and later in her Villanova career received Second Team accolades.

Lee then served as an assistant coach to the legendary Harry Perretta for 21 years at Villanova. During that time, she was responsible for the administration of the program, served as the student-athlete academic services liaison, and assisted in the recruitment of student-athletes, including recent Villanova standout Maddy Siegrist.

“At Villanova, I gained confidence and a clearer understanding of how I want to be as a head coach,” said Lee. “I want to be firm, yet fair but have a ton of fun. And now I know that I can do all those things. I love that I got to be mentored by Harry Perretta and Joe Mullaney —  an offensive genius in Harry, and Joe, who taught me how to coach defenses. I feel like I had the best of both sides of the game which is also what has given me the confidence that I have now. I know basketball because of them and it makes it easier to be who I am today.”

Perretta said, “Shanette is a hard worker but she is also willing to learn; she really listens and talks to a lot of different (basketball) people. Put that together with her great work ethic, and that makes a really good coach.”

Perretta had watched Lee as a player at Merion Mercy Academy in the mid-1990s.

“I was particularly impressed with her intelligent style of play,” said Perretta. “She brought that student of the game philosophy with her to Villanova, which is why she was such a good point guard for us.”

For the past three years, Lee has served as head basketball coach at the Agnes Irwin School, where she also was an assistant for the Athletic Department and a physical education teacher in the Lower School. Lee led the Owls to the Commonwealth Cup championship, beating Germantown Friends in the final.

Lee also currently coaches for the Philly Rise girls’ basketball club, an AAU program.