LEWISTON, Maine – After three years of service to her alma mater, Bates College Associate Director of Athletics Adrienne Shibles '91, P'26 will depart the College to return to the coaching ranks, this time at Colby College.
Shibles returned to Bates in July 2023 following a distinguished 29-year collegiate coaching career. Since coming home to Lewiston, she has made a meaningful impact on the Department of Athletics through her leadership, mentorship, and commitment to Bates student-athletes, coaches, and staff.
"We will miss Adrienne tremendously at Bates, but we could not be more excited to see her return to coaching a game she loves so much," said Bates Athletic Director Stacey Bunting. "Adrienne has been an incredible colleague, mentor and friend to so many across our community, and her impact on our student-athletes, coaches and staff has been significant. She cares deeply about Bates and has brought that passion to everything she has done here. I am thrilled for Adrienne and know she will continue to make an extraordinary impact on the student-athletes she leads."
As Associate Director of Athletics and Senior Woman Administrator, Shibles has provided strategic leadership across the department while playing an important role in student-athlete development, coach development and mentorship, academic success, health and well-being, and equity and inclusion.
She has also worked closely with College Advancement to support fundraising efforts and the continued growth of the Friends of Bates Athletics giving program. Throughout her tenure, Shibles has drawn upon her experience as a student-athlete, coach, educator, and administrator to support the development of those around her.
"Being back at Bates, the place that shaped so much of who I am, has been a true gift," Shibles said. "I am incredibly grateful for the people, relationships, and experiences that have made these past three years so meaningful. It has been a privilege to work alongside Stacey and witness the transformation she is leading within Bates Athletics, and I am equally grateful to President (Garry W.) Jenkins for his leadership and vision for my alma mater. There is something very special happening at Bates, and I feel fortunate to have been part of this chapter. As my professional path leads me back to coaching, I look forward to what lies ahead knowing that my connection to Bates will never change. I will always be a Bobcat."
Shibles' departure marks a return to the sidelines and the next chapter of a coaching career that has spanned nearly three decades and established her as one of the most accomplished women's basketball coaches in New England.
A 1991 Bates graduate and former Bobcat women's basketball standout, Shibles scored more than 1,000 career points during her collegiate career and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in history. She later earned a Master of Science in exercise and sports studies from Smith College.
Shibles spent nine seasons as an associate professor of physical education and head women's basketball coach at Swarthmore College before returning to Maine as dean of athletics and co-curricular programs at Gould Academy.
She later became the winningest head coach in Bowdoin College women's basketball history, compiling a 281-67 record while leading the Polar Bears to two NESCAC championships, 11 NCAA Tournament appearances, and consecutive NCAA Division III national championship game appearances in 2018 and 2019.
Most recently, she coached at the NCAA Division I level, leading the Dartmouth College women's basketball program for two seasons from 2021-23 before returning home to Bates.
Shibles' return to her alma mater also coincided with a memorable chapter for her family. Her daughter, Elsa Daulerio '26, completed one of the most decorated careers in Bates women's basketball history, earning multiple WBCA and D3hoops.com All-America honors and, as a senior captain, being named the NESCAC Player and Defensive Player of the Year and D3hoops.com Region 1 Player of the Year. Daulerio helped lead Bates to a program-record 26 victories and its second NESCAC championship in 2026, while finishing her career as the program's all-time leader in blocked shots. Like her mother, Daulerio also surpassed 1,000 career points as a Bobcat.
A native of Knox, Maine, and graduate of Mount View High School, Shibles was inducted into the Maine Basketball Hall of Fame in 2022.
