The architect of the nation's best turnaround last season, which included a berth in the Women's National Invitation Tournament, former Hawk standout Cindy Griffin enters her sixth year as head coach of the Saint Joseph's University women's basketball team, having guided the Hawks to four postseason appearances in her first five seasons. A 1991 graduate of SJU, Griffin (nee Anderson) was named the seventh head coach in the program's history on April 25, 2001 and has compiled an overall record of 140-97 in eight seasons as a head coach.

Griffin helped to reinvigorate the SJU program in her first season, leading the squad to a 24-8 record and the second round of the WNIT. She capitalized on the team's tradition of scrappy play and rugged defense, while releasing the reins and allowing the team to play a more up-tempo style on the offensive end of the floor. The Hawks finished the year among the national leaders in nine different categories and paced the nation in free throw percentage for the second straight year.

Following a memorable first year at the helm of her alma mater, Griffin upped the ante in her second season by capturing 2003 Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year honors after guiding the Hawks to a 19-11 record. The team sprinted to the Conference's Eastern Division title and earned a berth in the WNIT for the second straight season, despite the departure of SJU's all-time leading scorer and the fourth toughest schedule in the nation.

Led by six seniors, the 2004 team went 22-11 and advanced to the WNIT Elite Eight. Saint Joseph's finished second in the A-10 East and dropped a heartbreaker in the Atlantic 10 Championship to Temple. Four Hawk seniors reached the 1,000-point plateau, marking just the eighth time in NCAA history that a quartet of players had reached the milestone in the same season. Erin Brady and Stephanie Graff went on to sign professional contracts, the second and third players in the Griffin era to do so.

With the loss of four 1,000-point scorers, the 2004-05 Hawks showed their true colors down the stretch, earning a hard-fought victory over La Salle in the opening round of the Atlantic 10 Championship and coming within 10 points of 16th ranked, and eventual A-10 Champion, Temple.

Fueled by a collection of newcomers and the development of a core group of upperclassmen, Griffin led the Hawks back to national prominence in 2005-06. The Crimson and Gray engineered the nation's best turnaround (13 games), made an appearance in the national polls for the first time since 2003-04, advanced to the semifinals of the A-10 Championship and earned a berth in the WNIT.

Following her playing career, Griffin spent the 1992-93 season as a graduate assistant at her alma mater. She then accepted an assistant spot at Vanderbilt University from 1993-95 under former Saint Joseph's head coach Jim Foster. Foster recruited Griffin to SJU and coached her during her first four seasons on Hawk Hill.

In her two years as an assistant at Vanderbilt, the Commodores finished 53-15 overall, won the 1995 SEC championship and reached the NCAA Sweet 16 both seasons. In addition to coaching responsibilities, she was the co-director of the Vanderbilt Basketball Camp and the director of the Black & Gold Club.

Griffin left Vanderbilt after the 1995 season to return to the East Coast as an assistant coach at Loyola College. She spent three seasons as an assistant under Patty Coyle at Loyola before being elevated to the role of associate head coach in 1998. Griffin was promoted to the position of head women's basketball coach at Loyola College midway through the 1998-99 season. She was the seventh youngest head coach in Division I at the time. Griffin, who was named head coach five games into season as Coyle left to accept an assistant coach position with the WNBA's New York Liberty, kept the Greyhounds' momentum going as Loyola won a team-record 21-games that year. Overall she compiled a record of 48-33 during her tenure at the Baltimore school, guiding the squad to the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference semifinals all three seasons.

One of the top playmakers in Saint Joseph's history, Griffin starred for the Hawks from 1987-88 through 1991-92 (missing the 1988-89 season due to injury). A three-year team captain, Griffin finished her career with 662 points, 278 rebounds, 510 assists and 197 steals. She ranks fourth on SJU's all-time assist list.

As a junior in 1990-91, she played in 1,178 out of a possible 1,200 minutes to set the school record for minutes played in a single season. The Hawks made three NCAA Tournament appearances and posted three straight 20-win seasons during her playing career. A two-time Second Team All-Big 5 choice, as well as a Third Team All-Atlantic 10 pick as a senior, she was inducted into the Saint Joseph's Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 1998.

A native of Maple Glen, PA, Griffin played her high school basketball for Bishop McDevitt of the Philadelphia Catholic League. A 1987 graduate of McDevitt, she was inducted into its Athletic Hall of Fame in 1997 and in 2002, received the Philadelphia Catholic League's alumni achievement award. She earned a bachelor's degree in accounting from Saint Joseph's in 1991 and completed work on an M.B.A. degree from SJU in 1993. An active member of the Women's Basketball Coaches Association, Griffin also serves as a board member for "A Chance to Heal". She resides in Conshohocken, PA, with her husband Curtis and daughters Kaylie (3) and Hannah (1).