Press Release :: Women's Basketball Coaches Association

ATLANTA, Ga. - The Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) has selected Steve Harold of Glenville State College as the 2007 Russell Athletic/WBCA National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II Coach of the Year. This year marks the 25^th year that this accolade has been presented, which has been selected by the WBCA since 1983. 

“On behalf of the WBCA, we are proud to honor Steve Harold as the 2007 Russell Athletic/WBCA National NCAA Division II Coach of the Year,” said WBCA CEO Beth Bass.  “Selected by his colleagues, Steve’s dedication and commitment to Glenville State College, to his student-athletes and to the game of women’s basketball has proven to be exceptional.”

Glenville State College’s Steve Harold caps his 12^th season at the helm with a trip to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight, with the opportunity to take home the Division II crown.  A proven builder of winning programs, Harold has elevated the Lady Pioneers to national prominence and has steadied the squad at the top of the charts in the USA TODAY ESPN Top 25 Coaches’ Poll. 

Consistency is key for Harold as he directed his first nine squads to equal or improved  win-loss totals from the previous season, a remarkable feat for a team that traditionally plays one of the nation’s toughest schedules.  He has guided the Lady Pioneers to many of their “firsts”, including the program’s first national ranking, first WVIAC tournament championship, first victory over an NCAA Division I opponent and a school record of 30 wins.  Harold currently represents the WVIAC on the WBCA Conference Captains Committee. 

"Russell Athletic is proud to support the winners of the WBCA Coach of the Year Awards.  Just like these individuals, for those who have what it takes on the inside, Russell has what it takes on the outside,” said Chris Passarell, Senior Director of Marketing, Russell Athletic.

Harold is one of six Russell Athletic/WBCA National Coaches of the Year selected, which also names winners for each of the other four WBCA collegiate divisions (NCAA Divisions I and III, NAIA and JC/CC) as well as High School. The winner is selected through a two-level process. The first level is by region, in which coaches from each WBCA geographical region vote for their respective top coach. Harold, having received the most votes in WBCA Region 2, advanced as a finalist to the national level of the selection process along with the other six Regional Coaches of the Year in NCAA Division II.

The WBCA would also like to recognize the following regional Division II Coaches of the Year:

Harold and the national winners from the other five divisions will be honored at the Russell Athletic/WBCA National Coach of the Year Luncheon presented by AstraZeneca on Monday, April 2, 2007, at 12:00 p.m. (ET) in the Crowne Plaza’s Grand Ballroom. The luncheon is part of the 2007 WBCA National Convention, held in conjunction with the NCAA® Women's Final Four® in Cleveland, Ohio.

About Russell Athletic

For more than 100 years, Russell Athletic has been designing and producing the most innovative, most comfortable apparel to help athletes at all levels perform their best.  From the youth practice fields, to premier collegiate teams, to the most respected professional arenas, whenever you see athletes and teams who demand the highest quality, exceptional durability, and extreme comfort, you’ll find Russell Athletic. 

Founded in 1981, the WBCA promotes women's basketball by unifying coaches at all levels to develop a reputable identity for the sport and to foster and promote the development of the game in all of its aspects as a sport for women and girls. For more information about the WBCA, please visit WBCA.org.