American University Director of Athletics and Recreation JM Caparro announced the hiring of Kelly Killion as head coach of the Eagles’ women’s basketball program on April 2, 2025. A respected leader with a proven track record as both a coach and former standout player, Killion has brought a wealth of experience and a winning pedigree to AU’s sideline.
Entering her second season in 2026-27, Killion’s first season saw freshman forward Charlotte Tuhy earn a place in the national spotlight for rebounding. Tuhy was named to the All-Patriot League Third Team and the All-Rookie team as well and finished the season averaging a double-double (12.0 ppg, 11.3 rpg). Sophomores Molly Driscoll and Madisyn Moore-Nicholson each saw immense growth in the 2025-26 season as well with Killion at the helm.
Driscoll led the squad in minutes played and collectively, Tuhy (12.0 ppg), Driscoll (11.6 ppg), and Moore-Nicholson (10.6 ppg) were the only three Eagles to close out the season averaging in double-digit scoring position. Driscoll was also named to both the CSC Academic All-District Team and the Academic All-Patriot League team at the conclusion of the season.
Killion came to American after a distinguished, 11-year tenure at the University of Pennsylvania, where she served as associate head coach and recruiting coordinator for her final three seasons, and assistant coach/recruiting coordinator prior to that with the Quakers. During her time at Penn, Killion played a pivotal role in overseeing the success of two Ivy League championship teams across two tenures with the Quakers, including the program's fourth title in a six-year span in 2018-19 when the Quakers went 24-7 overall and 12-2 in league play.
After an initial stint at Penn from 2010-12, Killion served as an assistant coach at Sacred Heart for one season before spending three seasons at William & Mary. While with the Tribe, she helped lead the program to back-to-back 15-win campaigns—tied for the fourth-most in school history—and its first-ever postseason appearance with a bid to the 2015 Women’s Basketball Invitational.
As a player, Killion had an illustrious career at Holy Family University. She was a four-year letterwinner and a three-time team captain, a two-time Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Player of the Year, a two-time ECAC first-team selection, and a two-time second-team selection. She earned her bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Holy Family in 2008 and was named to the Holy Family Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2021 while her 2007-08 team was inducted into the 2017 CACC Hall of Fame.
Kelly and Edward “EJ” Bacerra welcomed their first child, Edward Lee Bacerra III, in December 2020 and in September 2025, they welcomed their daughter Suraya Noel Bacerra.
