Damel Ling enters his second season at the helm of the Borough of Manhattan Community College women’s basketball program.
| Season |
Overall Record |
Region XV Record |
CUNYAC Record |
CUNYAC Playoffs |
Region 15 Playoffs |
Playoff Record |
Awards |
| 2022-23 |
7-16 |
6-10 |
6-4 |
CUNYAC Championship |
Region XV Quarterfinals |
1-2 |
CUNYAC Championship Runner-Up |
| Totals |
7-16 (.304) |
6-10 (.375) |
6-4 (.600) |
|
|
1-2 (.333) |
|
Ling set an outstanding foundation for the BMCC women’s basketball program down the road after his first season in 2022-23. Ling helped the Panthers take significant strides this season after just playing four games a season ago and going 0-4, leading them to a 7-16 overall record, the program’s most wins since the 2017-18 season, and qualifying for the 2023 CUNYAC CC Women’s Championship game for the first time since 2018-19 against Hostos Community College. Ling tutored CUNYAC CC Women’s Basketball Rookie of the Year Demaris Andrews, the fourth in program history and first since the 2014-15 season. He also coached Emily Kennedy, a CUNYAC All-Star and NJCAA Division III Women’s Basketball Player of the Week. Andrews also registered a team-best 350 points, which was sixth most in a single season and 13th all-time in program history, while Kennedy led the team in scoring average at 19.5 points per game which was also seventh in the nation.
Ling, who was hired on April 4, 2022, brought an impressive resume to BMCC with extensive experience as a coach in the NCAA, NJCAA, and high school coaching ranks, learning under two Hall of Fame coaches in Mark A. Corino and Bobby Hurley Sr.
This is Ling’s second stint as a head coach of a two-year program. He previously served as the head coach of Union County College’s men’s basketball program from 2015 to 2016, leading them to a Region 19 Quarterfinal and producing an All-Region 19 selection in one season.
Ling arrives at BMCC from Nyack College in Jersey City. He served as an assistant for the Warriors women’s basketball program from 2021 until 2022. Ling was in charge of the daily operations for the program, developing practice and strategic game plans, scouting, and post and perimeter player skills development at both programs.
Before that stop, Ling was an assistant at Caldwell College for the Women’s Basketball team from 2019 to 2021, developing game plans and skills development for the guards.
Before returning to the collegiate level, Ling was a successful high school basketball coach. During his time as the head women’s basketball coach at the Patrick School in Hillsdale, New Jersey, from 2016 until 2019, he guided the Shamrocks to 63 victories in three seasons while leading them to a single-season record of 27 wins in 2016-17. Ling captured three Watchung Division Titles and two County Championships in 2017 and 2019 during his tenure, while his teams also made the Union County Tournament final all three seasons. He also produced 16 Scholarship Student-Athletes and sent 22 student-athletes overall to the collegiate level.
Prior to taking over as the Head Men’s Coach at Union County College, he was the Associate Head Boy’s Basketball Coach at The Patrick School from 2011-15, leading them to back-to-back county titles in 2013 and 2014 while developing Division I and future professional players.
Ling had a ton of success in the Hudson County high school basketball scene as the head coach of the Marist High School women’s basketball program from 2009 to 2011 and the head men’s basketball coach of Hudson Catholic from 2007 to 2009. During his time patrolling the sidelines in the competitive Hudson County Interscholastic League, his mantra was defense, with his women’s program at Marist High School finishing as one of the best defensive teams in the county both seasons and his men’s program at Hudson Catholic concluding the 2007-08 season as one of the top three defensive teams in the county.
Ling also learned under another New Jersey high school basketball coaching legend in Naismith Hall of Fame Coach Bob Hurley Sr. as an assistant varsity and head JV boy’s coach at St. Anthony’s from 2003-07. As a varsity assistant, he was a part of a Friars squad that went 28-1 and finished #7 in the country while churning out seven Division 1 scholarship players that squad in 2006-07. During the 2003-04 season, he was on a coaching staff that led the Friars to an undefeated season and a state championship. St. Anthony’s also finished the season second in the country and claimed the High School National Championship.
As the Friars JV coach, he compiled an 87-7 overall record and won four Christmas Tournament Titles.
He also made a County Final appearance in 2001 as an assistant coach at Marist High School, where he coached from 2000 to 2003.
Ling started his career in the college coaching ranks as an assistant at Centenary College for their men’s program from 1999 to 2000.
Ling earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from Wheaton College in 1999. While at Wheaton, he played on the men’s basketball team for four years. He was a captain his senior year and was selected to the New England All-Rookie team in 1996.
Ling is a Jersey City native and serves as an Enforcement Supervisor of Facilities/MRFS for the Hudson County Improvement Authority. He is married to Latoya Grimes-Ling and has two daughters, Dominique (21) and Kimora (13).
