Janae Poisson joined the Fighting Saints in July of 2024 as an assistant coach for the women’s basketball team. The 2025-26 season will mark Poisson’s second year as assistant coach.
At St. Francis, Poisson assists the program in coordination of practice plans, individual player development, assisting in training sessions, and implementation of game strategies.
Poisson began her coaching career in the winter of 2023 as an assistant women’s basketball coach at her alma mater Marian Catholic High School. As a three-sport (volleyball, basketball, track) student-athlete for the Spartans (2012-16), Poisson helped the women’s basketball team to a 28-3 record and a state tournament berth in 2014-15 after winning conference, regional and sectional championships in 2013-14. In 2015-16, she was named to the All-Conference first team and All-Area second teams, while also securing a place on the All-State Honorable Mention squad. Following that season, Poisson was selected to participate in the Best of the Best Showcase with 60 of the best players from around the country. She was a Don Fox Student-Athlete Scholarship recipient as well as an All-Scholastic Team member.
Poisson graduated from Northern Illinois University in 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a minor in counseling. In 2023, she earned her master’s degree from NIU in clinical mental health. While at Northern Illinois (2016-2023), Poisson appeared in a school record 133 games while helping NIU to its first women’s basketball postseason appearance in 23 years (2017 WNIT). Throughout the duration of her career, she netted 1,268 points while ranking fourth in program history with 254 three-point field goals made. Poisson was a two-time Mid-American Conference (MAC) Sixth Woman of the Year (2020-21, 2022-23) and an All-MAC Honorable mention selection in 2021-22. In 2016-17, she was also selected as a member of the MAC All-Freshman team. Academically, Poisson was a three-time All-MAC academic team honoree.
