Virginia Tech women’s basketball and head coach Megan Duffy announced the hiring of Stephen Fishler as the program’s general manager on Tuesday.
Fishler ventures to Blacksburg from Rutgers, where he spent the last three seasons as the Scarlet Knights’ chief of staff and general manager.
He’ll work closely with Tech’s NIL collectives while overseeing the team’s revenue-sharing approach and other related resources. He’ll also play a key role in the Hokies’ roster construction.
“We are thrilled to welcome Stephen Fishler to Hokie Nation,” Duffy said in Tech’s release. “As we continue to evolve into a new era of college athletics, a unique skill for our program’s development is critical. Stephen will be a perfect fit to support our student-athletes off the court. His ability to strategize, execute our vision and cultivate relationships at Virginia Tech and beyond is a game changer.”
Fishler has been around women’s college basketball since 2012. He spent five years at Penn State on Coquese Washington’s staff — four as a manager and one as a graduate assistant — before working as Elon’s director of basketball operations for five seasons. He then reunited with Washington at Rutgers in 2022.
“I am truly honored to join the Virginia Tech women’s basketball family,” Fishler said in the release. “From my very first conversation with Coach Duffy, I immediately felt the passion, energy and deep commitment to Hokie Nation that defines the program. She has created an elite environment that is primed to compete at the highest level, and I am eager to contribute in every way possible. I look forward to building lasting relationships within the Virginia Tech community and playing a role in the program’s continued success.”
A Penn State alum, he broke down and analyzed film for the Nittany Lions while assisting with basketball camps and creating recruiting materials, which led to landing a 2015 recruiting class that ESPN ranked 15th in the country.
At Elon, he helped head coach Charlotte Smith and the Phoenix win the 2018 CAA Tournament and reach the NCAA Tournament. He oversaw all logistical day-to-day operations, from the team’s travel and budget to player development, student managers and community outreach.
In Piscataway, Fishler was the Scarlet Knights’ primary liaison with compliance, fundraising and other parts of the athletic department. The Bethlehem, Pa., native oversaw the administrative aspects of the program, including budgeting, ticketing and marketing.
He holds two degrees from Penn State — a bachelor’s in broadcast journalism and a master’s in education in curriculum and instruction — and completed his master’s in business administration at Elon in 2021.
He’s the first general manager in Virginia Tech women’s basketball history. Mike Young and the men’s basketball program made a similar hire in Nelson Hernandez on April 15.
Fishler is the second offseason addition to the Hokies’ staff, joining strength & conditioning coach Lee Taylor, who came from Penn State. Longtime strength & conditioning coach Greg Werner, chief of staff Meghin Williams (GM, Cal) and director of player personnel Kathleen Doyle (assistant coach, DePaul) departed this offseason.
The Hokies rounded out their roster in early May with the addition of Northwestern guard Melannie Daley, one of six newcomers in 2025-26. The others are transfers Kilah Freelon (Texas Tech) and Sophie Swanson (Purdue) and high school signees Amani Jenkins, Kate Sears and Aniya Trent. They join Tech’s six returners.