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Notables

News and notes from around D-III

From May 2001

Texas Wesleyan moves up
Texas Wesleyan University is moving up from Division II to Division III and has accepted an invitation to join the American Southwest Conference, effective August 1, 2002. Texas Wesleyan withdrew from the NCAA Division II Heartland Conference at the conclusion of the 2000-01 season.

American Southwest Conference Commissioner Fred Jacoby announced that "Texas Wesleyan University is a quality educational institution with a comprehensive, competitive athletic program that will be a good fit for the Conference. In addition, Texas Wesleyan, located in Forth Worth, Texas, will provide an excellent media market for the Conference."

Texas Wesleyan will become the 16th member of the ASC, a NCAA Division III
conference. (The full conference lineup) They will compete in the East Division, replacing the University of Dallas, which will become an independent.

Booker promoted to replace Barron
SEWANEE, Tenn. — Karen Booker, a former All-Southeastern Conference and All-American women's basketball player at Vanderbilt, has been hired as the women's head basketball coach, it was announced May 21 by Sewanee athletics director Mark Webb.

Booker replaces Richard Barron, who was hired on May 8 as head women's basketball coach at Princeton. Booker was Sewanee's assistant coach last season.

Barron was 77-48 (.616) in five years at Sewanee and led the Tigers to a share of the SCAC championship this past season. Sewanee was 18-7 overall and led Division III in 3-point field goals made per game (8.4).

"I thank God for giving me this opportunity to coach again at the college level,'' said Booker, who was head women's coach at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo for two seasons, 1996 & 1997.

"I am excited about being the head coach at Sewanee and since I was an assistant coach last season with the Tigers I know a good deal about the players and the heart, desire and talent that each of them possesses.

"They also understand that my coaching style includes the expectation of hard work and discipline and that every player reach her potential.''

Booker is Sewanee's ninth women's coach since the program was formed for the 1975-76 season.

"I am very pleased that Karen has accepted the head coaching position of our women's basketball program,'' said Webb. "She brings outstanding credentials to Sewanee and I am delighted that our student-athletes will have the opportunity to work with her.''

Booker was first team All-SEC and third team All-American at Vandy as a senior in 1987. For a career, she averaged 12.8 points per game and 9.2 rebounds per game and led the Commodores to an 82-41 record in four years and a spot in the NCAA tournament as a senior. She has a degree in economics from Vanderbilt.

A native of Franklin, Tenn., Booker was all-state in basketball as a senior at Franklin High School in 1983. She is second all-time at Vandy in rebounds (1,096) and steals (293), third in free throws made (334), sixth in blocked shots (127) and sixth in scoring (12.8).

Denison lets Lee go with a year left
GRANVILLE, Ohio — Denison fired head men's basketball coach Bill Lee after five years on the job. He went 54-71, but only 18-55 over the past three seasons. He had one season left on his contract.

Lee was promoted from his assistant coach position five days before the 1996-97 season began when players pressured the administration to fire then-coach Mike Sheridan. The Big Red then beat Wittenberg for the first time in 28 seasons, finished 19-7 and second in the North Coast Athletic Conference and went to the NCAA tournament, where they lost to Hope 69-66 in the first round.

Lee's team was 17-9 and fourth in the NCAC the next season, but went 9-16, 4-20 and 5-19 the last three seasons. Sheridan had gone 55-71 in his five years as head coach.

Sewanee's Barron goes to Princeton
SEWANEE, Tenn. — Sewanee women's basketball coach Richard Barron has accepted the position of head women's coach at Princeton University.

Barron, 32, is the winningest coach in the 26-year history of the women's program at Sewanee as he compiled a 77-48 (.616) win-loss record in five seasons (1997-2001).

A native of Florida and graduate of Webb School in Knoxville and Kenyon, Barron guided the Tigers to a conference championship (tri-champions) this past season and also led Sewanee to its first 20-win season in school history two years ago.

"I am thrilled to have the opportunity to coach at Princeton but it is with great sadness that I leave Sewanee,'' said Barron, who is Princeton's eighth head coach in the history of the program. "Sewanee has been my home for nine years and I have been very fortunate to coach and work with exceptionally fine student-athletes.''

Princeton has had 16 winning seasons since 1972, but Barron inherits a Tiger team which was 2-25 last season under interim head coach Kevin Morris, who
was hired in the late summer. The squad graduated only one senior.

"After nine years of outstanding service to Sewanee, Coach Barron is ideally suited to take the helm of the Princeton women's basketball program,'' said Sewanee Director of Athletics Mark Webb. "He was highly successful in recruiting non-scholarship student-athletes to Sewanee and was instrumental in building a program that tied for its first conference championship last season."

While at Sewanee, Barron coached two All-Americans - Jen Bulkeley and Michelle Chambers - and his 1999-2000 team led Division III in scoring (86.ppg). The Tigers also were first in 3-point field goals made per game each of the past two years. Sewanee was 18-7 last season.

"The group of young women returning to Sewanee and the women's basketball recruits will certainly carry on the new tradition of winning. They are, quite simply, all winners and people of great character. I will miss them.''

Nugent takes over at Washington Coll.
CHESTERTOWN, Md. — Washington College athletic director Bryan Matthews announced Robert Nugent, Jr. as the new head coach of the men's basketball team on May 10. Nugent will replace interim head coach Mike Hart.

Nugent served as the head coach of the men's basketball and baseball teams at Southern Vermont College from 1999-2001. As head coach at Southern Vermont, he was responsible for managing all aspects of the basketball and baseball programs in the college's third year as a NCAA Division III member.

"After a highly competitive search, we are excited to announce that Rob Nugent is the next head men's basketball coach at Washington College. His experience as an assistant coach at Williams College when they played for the National Championship several times (sic), coupled with his head coaching experience at Southern Vermont College, made him the right choice to lead our program, " says Athletic Director Bryan Matthews.

Before Southern Vermont, Nugent served as assistant basketball coach at Williams College gaining experience under Head Coach Harry Sheehy. During his tenure at Williams, his team twice participated in the NCAA Division III Final Four, was recognized twice as the Eastern College Athletic Conference Team of the Year, and was the 1998-1999 New England Champions.

"I am excited to be coaching at Washington. The Shoremen have a rich basketball tradition of success, we are looking to build on that tradition. I can promise we are going to play hard and defend, " said Nugent.

Nugent was also a standout baseball player. Nugent's baseball experience includes two seasons of playing semi-professional baseball in Ohio, highlighted by a tryout with the Cincinnati organization. Nugent played center field and third base as a semi-pro and for one fall season at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. Nugent is a 1997 Magna Cum Laude graduate from Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history.

The Washington College men's basketball team finished 13-11 and 6-7 in the Centennial Conference in the 2000-2001 season.

Curley named at Juniata, replaces Ferry
HUNTINGDON, Pa. — Greg Curley has been named the head coach of the Juniata men's basketball program by director of athletics Larry Bock. Curley takes over for Rick Ferry, who resigned from his post as the men's hardwood mentor on College Hill to take over the Albright men's program. Ferry is a native of Reading, Pa., where Albright is located, and left the Eagle squad after guiding the unit for five years.

"Greg is a true Division III guy and we feel very fortunate to have him joining our staff," said Bock. "He played at the Division III level, has worked as an assistant coach in Division III and he is ready to take over his own program. Greg knows what it is going to take to keep our program headed in the right direction."

Curley is no stranger to Juniata, having worked three seasons (August 1996 to July 1999) as an assistant coach for Ferry. In addition, he worked as a resident director and a summer conference assistant.

He left Juniata in July of 1999 to become the assistant men's basketball coach and head golf coach at Penn State-Behrend. Before the start of the 1999-2000 basketball season, he was presented with the opportunity to return his alma mater, Allegheny, as an assistant varsity coach and head junior varsity coach for the men's basketball program where he has spent the past two years.

"I'm excited about the opportunity in front of me and the chance to return to Juniata and closer to my roots that are in State College," commented Curley. "The men's basketball program at Juniata has a lot of momentum right now and I feel fortunate to be able to get the chance to step right in and pick up where things have been left off."

Curley graduated from Allegheny in May of 1995 with a bachelor degree in history, along with a minor in English. He was a four-time Allegheny Scholar-Athlete. He was a member of the 1992-93 North Coach Athletic Conference championship team and played in the 1995 NAIA-NCAA Senior All-Star Game. Curley was elected as a team captain and received the Glen Thompson Award for Leadership as a senior.

Curley's coaching career began in 1995 when he served as the graduate assistant coach at Allegheny for the 1995-96 season. One year later, he became the assistant at Juniata.

"I enjoy everything about Division III athletics," said Curley. "Student-athletes in Division III are committed to excellence in every aspect of their lives, including academically, athletically and socially. I want members of my program to be committed to excellence and that is exactly what I see when I look at the current Juniata program."

Juniata finished the 2000-01 season with an 11-13 overall record, which marked the most wins for the blue and gold program since the 1991-92 unit posted 12 victories (12-13).

Ward to step down at St. John Fisher;
Kornaker promoted from assistant
PITTSFORD, N.Y. — Bob Ward will step down as St. John Fisher's head men's basketball coach and will serve exclusively as Athletic Director.

For the past 14 years, Ward has served in both capacities, but will focus his role as Athletic Director, overseeing the College's 15 NCAA Division III athletic programs, beginning in June.

After taking over for NBA Hall of Famer Bobby Wanzer in the summer of 1987, Ward has played a critical role in elevating the men's basketball program, as well as the College's entire athletic department, to the next level.

While serving as the men's head basketball coach, Fisher enjoyed winning seasons in each of his of 14 years.

Ward composed a career record of 261-106 and ranks 16th all-time among coaches in NCAA Division III with a winning percentage of .711.

Ward led Fisher to its first NCAA Division III Tournament appearance in 1992 and guided the Cardinals back to the NCAA Tournament in seven of the next nine years. Ward also guided Fisher to three ECAC Championships during his career.

After compiling a 62-42 record in his first four seasons, Ward established Fisher as a regional power, compiling a 199-65 record over the next 10 years (postseason all 10 years).

Only the second coach in Fisher's 38-year storied history, Ward led the Cardinals to a 24-2 mark during the 1998-99 campaign, setting a school record for wins in a season and winning percentage.

The College has promoted Rob Kornaker from assistant coach to head coach for the men's basketball program.

In his first season with the Cardinals last year, Fisher won its first Empire 8 crown and advanced to the NCAA Division III Tournament for the seventh time in the last nine years and finished with a 17-9 record. Kornaker is a 1990 graduate of Alfred University where he played four seasons for the Saxons and tallied 991 points over the span of his career.

Kornaker was a graduate assistant at Alfred before becoming an assistant coach with the Saxons. Shortly thereafter, he was hired as an assistant coach for Alfred State College, before joining Geneseo State for a three-year stint as assistant coach. During his three years at Geneseo, the Knights advanced to the Division III Sweet 16.

Kornaker will clearly have big shoes to fill. The 1986 Gates-Chili graduate becomes just the third coach in Fisher's 38-year history of men's basketball at the College and takes over for Bob Ward, who will continue to serve as the College's Athletic Director.

"There is no doubt in my mind that Rob is going to be a very successful coach here," Ward says. "Rob possesses the knowledge and the drive that is necessary to be an outstanding college coach at this level."

Notables 2003-pres.

2003 Notables
February 15-28
February 1-14
January 16-31
January 1-15

2002 Notables
December 16-31
December 1-15
November
October-early Nov.
September-October
June-August
May
March-April
February 22-28
February 15-21
February 8-14
February 1-7
January 22-31
January 15-21
January 8-14
January 1-7

2001 Notables
December 16-31
December 1-15
October-November
July-September
June
May
April
March

Notables 1998-2001

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