Tori Jankoska ended her college basketball career as the all-time leading scorer at Michigan State and was taken in the first round of the WNBA Draft by Chicago.
But the native of Michigan began her pro playing career in 2017 thousands of miles from home in Poland in a rookie season that ended with an injury.
“My season in Poland helped me decide what I wanted to do with my career by helping me really focus on the game of basketball, learning a new style of play and leadership, with little distractions surrounding me. It showed me how much I enjoy the relationship piece, as well as learning and teaching the game, which ultimately lead to getting into coaching,” she wrote to the AFP.
After playing in Poland, she landed her first coaching job on the staff with veteran head coach Brenda Frese at the University of Maryland.
Jankoska, 31, after nearly four years as an assistant at Virginia, was named last month as the head coach at EMU, a D3 program. She takes over for Luray High graduate Jenny Posey, a former Bridgewater College player who resigned after the Royals went 5-20 overall and 0-16 in the ODAC this past season.
Posey had held the head post in Park View since 2018.
“My time at UVA was invaluable in preparing me to become a head coach. I was able to be a part of and learn what it looks like to elevate a program through organization, communication, player development and creating strong relationships with student-athletes. There is tremendous opportunity to do the same at EMU,” Jankoska noted. “My focus is on creating a culture where players believe in the process, compete every day to win, and take pride in representing EMU. During my time at UVA, I was able to develop relationships with numerous coaches and programs throughout the DMV, which will help a great deal in recruiting at EMU. Capping my time off at Virginia with a Sweet 16 run in the NCAA Tournament while developing skills and learning through experience over the last four years has fostered the confidence to build and sustain a top-level program in ODAC.”
D1 background
While Posey had a strong Division III background – she was an assistant coach at Lynchburg and head coach at Hollins – Jankoska comes with a Division I pedigree.
After starring at Michigan State, she began her pro career near the Baltic Sea in northern Poland in the city of Gdynia after failing to hook on with Chicago of the WNBA.
That may have been a blessing in disguise.
“Being able to take all the knowledge I had gained over my playing career and contributing to player development, game strategy, and ultimately, to winning games proved to be extremely satisfying,” she noted. “Having the ability to continue to compete from a different vantage point, be around and learn the game from the coaching perspective, while positively molding and impacting the next generation felt like exactly what I was supposed to be doing. It never felt like work. Being in a new country was an eye-opening and educational experience. Experiencing a new culture and experiencing the game from a different perspective has proven to be an invaluable tool for me as I have gone through my coaching journey. It has allowed me the ability to understand various players coming from differing backgrounds and incorporate each unique skill set into a larger exponential team experience.”
She will be challenged at EMU, which has not had a winning record since 2017-2018. The Royals are 18-90 in the ODAC since 2019.
“Basketball is basketball at every level. The different stops as a player and coach have helped develop the knowledge to know the importance of culture, accountability, player development, and building strong relationships. Those things translate across most teams regardless of sport or division,” Jankoska noted. “At EMU, I am focused on creating an environment where our players can grow on and off the court while competing at a high level. As for an assistant coach, I am looking for people who are great teachers, have experience that compliments mine, and can build relationships while being fully invested in the success of our student-athletes.”
As of June 11, she has not named any assistant coaches. “We are still working through that process, so I do not have any announcements on that just yet,” she noted.
While at a power school in Charlottesville, she still had some background with the ODAC and Division III.
ODAC link
“While at Virginia, I was aware of the ODAC, as it is one of the premier D3 leagues. Through recruiting, camps, and coaching circles, one gets to meet a lot of people in the region and build meaningful connections. I have been fortunate to learn from a number of outstanding coaches throughout my career,” she noted.
She worked at Virginia under head coach Amaka Agugua-Hamilton, who was let go in April after reports of “a toxic team culture” that included the belittlement of staff members.
Jankoska declined to comment on that situation. “Just would really love to move forward and focus on making EMU WBB great again. Thankful for Carrie Bert giving me an opportunity to lead and build the program,” she noted of the EMU athletics director.
Asked to name her coaching mentors, Jankoska listed Frese, former Michigan State head coach Suzy Merchant and Ronald Hughey, the former head coach at Houston who was also an assistant last season at Virginia. Jankoska was also on the staff under Agugua-Hamilton at Missouri State.
“My high school head coach, Tom Zolinski, who passed away in 2019, played a pivotal role in fostering my love for basketball while teaching me that it can be fun and competitive at the same time,” according to the Michigan native.
Jankoska is trying to get up to speed on the EMU roster.
“As I have gotten to know the current roster, there are names that are familiar from recruiting this area heavily for the last four years while at UVA. I am really looking forward to getting to know each and every one of them better as we move forward together as a team,” she wrote.
The 2025-2026 EMU roster included sophomore guard Lauren Townsend of East Rockingham High; sophomore Lexie Dingus of Broadway High, and Grace Burke, a sophomore from Stephens City who had transferred from Bridgewater. Burke led the team in scoring at 11.2 points per outing, while Townsend was third at 8.1.
Ready to step up
Nearly 10 years after playing in Poland, Jankoska is ready for her first head coaching job.
Her season in Europe also had family ties, as her roots are near the German-Poland border, with other family connections from Ireland, Hungary and England.
“Throughout the search process, Tori separated herself with the combination of her high-level basketball experience, clear vision for our program, and genuine excitement for the opportunity to lead EMU Women’s Basketball,” Bert said in a statement on the school website. “While this will be her first head coaching opportunity, her playing and coaching resume have prepared her well to lead our Royals. She articulated an appreciation for the Division III experience, and it was evident in her interview conversations that she is committed to transformational coaching, recruiting student-athletes for four years, but building relationships and impact that last for 40. Tori’s energy, competitiveness, and passion for developing young women make her an outstanding fit for EMU.”
Coming and going
Posey is one of three head coaches to step down at EMU this calendar year. She joined former Turner Ashby baseball standout J.D. McCurdy, the long-time (23 years) softball coach for the Royals, and head men’s soccer coach Justin Carey, who left to pursue a Division I job. Carey played at Mary Washington, and both of his parents attended EMU. McCurdy is in the Rockingham County Baseball League Hall of Fame after he starred for the Bridgewater Reds.
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David Driver
