By Tyler Diedrich
Editor-in-Chief
Jim Crowley won’t be leaving Olean anytime soon.
Steve Watson, director of athletics, announced Monday the women’s basketball coach signed a two-year contract extension through the 2018-19 season, quieting any rumors the ESPN.com National Coach of the Year would leave for a higher-profile job. Terms of the deal are undisclosed.
Crowley, also the Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year, said he’s thankful the university has faith in him and his staff, and he’s glad the deal got done quickly.
“It makes sure that people know this is where I want to be, and I’m happy about it,” Crowley said. “We love where we’re at and we look forward to the future, especially with this kind of commitment from the university.”
Junior forward Chelsea Bowker said the Bonnies heard rumors of Crowley being a candidate for the now-filled Providence coaching vacancy, and the team was relieved when it received news of the extension.
“It’s kind of like a weight lifted off our shoulders because we’re all very comfortable with him. We trust him,” Bowker said. “Let’s just say we’re really excited for the next year.”
Crowley is 185-178 in 12 years at St. Bonaventure, including a program-record 31-4 mark and the team’s first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance this season. The Bonnies are 97-38 in the last four seasons combined, with national postseason appearances in each of them.
Bowker said Crowley’s players appreciate his hard work and dedication to developing a successful program.
“He’s done everything for this program,” Bowker said. “We obviously respect him for what he’s done, and we’re really excited to get another year under him.”
Crowley and his staff begin recruiting and preparing for the 2012-13 season next week. The Bonnies lose senior starters Jessica Jenkins, Megan Van Tatenhove and Armelia Horton, along with a key bench contributor in Jennie Ashton, to graduation, but they have five freshmen incoming this fall. Crowley said he’s eager to tackle his next tests in maintaining the program’s newfound national prominence.
“We had an amazing year, and no one can ever change that or take that away,” Crowley said. “I’m really excited about the future of our program and the challenges that are ahead of us and the ability to keep the program going in the right direction.”
diedrits@bonaventure.edu
