Former Division II standout Elsebeth Birman rejoined the Shenandoah women’s basketball staff in 2025 as Director of Player Development, after previously serving as an assistant coach from 2016–2022.
Birman played collegiately at both the University of the Sciences (Pa.) and the University of Bridgeport (Conn.), competing two seasons at each institution. She arrived at Shenandoah in the fall of 2016 following a stint as an assistant coach with the Northwest High School girls basketball program in Germantown, Maryland.
In July 2019, Birman was promoted to a full-time assistant coaching position by head coach Melissa Smeltzer-Kraft after three seasons in a part-time role. Her impact was recognized nationally in March 2021, when she was named the WBCA Division III Assistant Coach of the Year.
A strong advocate for academic and personal development, Birman earned All-Academic honors in all four years of her collegiate career and graduated magna cum laude. She began her coaching journey in 2009 with the Germantown (MD) Lady Panthers. In 2015–16, she served as commissioner of the program’s grassroots division (grades 4–8). During this period, she also worked as a graduate assistant at the University of the Sciences for two years following the completion of her undergraduate studies in 2013.
Birman is the founder of Hoops Through Life, an organization dedicated to helping female athletes navigate challenges, build confidence, and become the best versions of themselves both on and off the court and field.
