Bio

Melissa Paulhus just concluded her fifth year as the head coach of the Anna Maria College women’s basketball team during the 2025-2026 season. She has led the program since being named head coach in January 2021.

Since taking over as head coach of the AMCATS in 2021, Paulhus has led a remarkable turnaround of the program, guiding Anna Maria College to the GNAC Playoffs in her first season, the team’s first postseason appearance since 2018. During her time at Anna Maria, she has led the program to three conference tournament appearances, including two in the GNAC and one in the MASCAC. During the 2024-2025 season, she was nominated for GNAC Coach of the Year after leading the team to 15 wins, the program’s most victories in 26 years.

Paulhus has also overseen the development of multiple All-Conference student-athletes, including Franchesca Hammond and Marinique Reddin in 2021-22, with Reddin posting the best statistical season by an Anna Maria freshman in over a decade. Most recently, she coached Arianna Gonzalez to MASCAC All-Conference honors following a career-best season. During the 2024-2025 campaign, Paulhus guided Marinique Reddin to become the program’s all-time leading scorer and rebounder, while Reddin’s senior season ranked among the top individual statistical performances in GNAC history. In 2025-2026, Paulhus continued the program’s momentum by leading Anna Maria College to the MASCAC semifinals in the conference’s inaugural season for the AMCATS.

Paulhus earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Human Growth and Development with a concentration in Elementary Education and a minor in Psychology while at Anna Maria. In 2015, she earned a License in Behavior Analysis after completing a Master of Science in Education from Bay Path University.

She began her coaching career in 2006 at the very high school she graduated from, serving as head coach of the Oxford High School Lady Pirates for three seasons. In 2016, she returned to her alma mater as an assistant coach on the AMCAT women’s basketball coaching staff, serving in that role for four years. Paulhus has also been active in numerous basketball camps and tournaments throughout her coaching career.

Paulhus was a standout high school and collegiate player. She played a key role in back-to-back state championships at Oxford High School in 1992 and 1993. The Lady Pirates won 50 consecutive games from 1991-1993 and finished the 1992 campaign with a perfect 25-0 record, becoming the only undefeated team in the state. They captured a second straight title in 1993 after another 25-0 season. She was inducted into the Oxford High School Hall of Fame individually in 2010 and, as a member of the 1991-92 and 1992-93 teams in 2006.

Paulhus’ success continued into college, where she still holds several school records. She ranks second all-time with 1,487 career points, first all-time with 465 career free throws made, and third all-time in both assists (306) and steals (242). She also ranks fifth all-time with a 15.2 career points-per-game average. Paulhus ranks fifth all-time in single-season points with 440 in 1996-97 and fifth all-time in single-season scoring average with 17.6 points per game in 1995-96.

She was named to the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) All-Conference Team four times during her career, earning second-team honors as a freshman and sophomore, then first-team honors as a junior and senior. Paulhus also earned regional and All-American honors during her junior season. She helped lead the AMCATS to 79 wins over four years, including three straight 20-win seasons and a runner-up finish in the 1997 CCC Tournament.

Paulhus currently resides in Charlton, Massachusetts, with her husband Jeff ’97, and their children, Drew ’25 and Madison ’22, both Anna Maria graduates and former AMCAT basketball student-athletes.