A coach with significant NCAA Tournament experience, Mark Swasey enters his second season as head coach of the California University of Pennsylvania women’s basketball program in 2010-11.
Last season, Swasey guided the Vulcans to their 10th-straight appearance in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Championship and ninth-consecutive berth to the NCAA Tournament. He featured one of the best tandems in the country in All-American guard Brooque Williams and All-America Honorable Mention forward Kayla Smith. Williams finished her career as the program’s all-time leading scorer and set the conference record for career steals.
Prior to coming to Cal U, he lead Franklin Pierce (N.H.) to back-to-back NCAA Division II Elite Eight appearances. In 2009, he guided the Ravens to the 2009 NCAA Division II national title game and a school record 29 wins. For his efforts, he was named Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA)/Russell East Region Coach of the Year after leading Franklin Pierce to the Northeast-10 (NE-10) regular season and tournament championships, along with a second-straight Elite Eight appearance.
Swasey, who was inducted into the New England Basketball Hall of Fame last fall, guided Franklin Pierce to unprecedented success during his seven-year tenure, compiling a 124-85 overall record. Over his last four years, the Ravens posted an impressive 89-37 record (.706) with an 8-2 record in two NCAA Tournament appearances.
Overall, he holds a 204-119 (.632) career record in 11 seasons, which includes a three-year stint at Division III Norwich (Vt.) prior to coaching Franklin Pierce.
Swasey coached Franklin Pierce to back-to-back NCAA Tournament berths, establishing the school record for wins each season and earning consecutive NCAA Regional Championships. In 2008-09, the Ravens posted a 29-6 overall record and opened Elite Eight play with an 88-73 win over Cal U before losing to Minnesota State Mankato in the highest scoring national championship game in NCAA Division II history, 103-94.
While with Franklin Pierce, Swasey tutored three-time WBCA All-American and three-time NE-10 Player of the Year Johannah Leedham. A two-time National Player of the Year, Leedham finished her career as the all-time leading scorer in NCAA Division II history with 3,050 points.
Swasey joined the Raven program prior to the 2002-03 season and in only his fourth year Swasey mentored Franklin Pierce to the 2006 Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division II Championship – the school’s first post-season championship since the 1991-92 season.
Before coming to Franklin Pierce, Swasey coached at Norwich for three years and guided the Lady Cadets to a 56-26 record (.683) and three appearances in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Championship game.
A native of New Hampshire, Swasey boasts NAIA coaching experience as well. He served as an assistant men’s basketball coach at Black Hills State University (S.D.) during 1998-99 season when the Jackets lost in the NAIA II Elite Eight to the eventual national champions.
He initially started coaching at Keene State (N.H.) in 1992 and earned his master’s degree in education while serving as an assistant coach for the Owls in their final years as a Division II program.
Swasey, who holds a bachelor’s degree from Lyndon State (Vt.), and his wife Jennifer have two daughters, Addison Elizabeth and Avery Marie.
SWASEY YEAR-BY-YEAR COACHING RECORD
| Year |
Overall
Record |
Win Pct. |
Conference Record |
Post-Season |
2009-10
|
24-8
|
.750
|
11-3
|
PSAC Tournament
NCAA Tournament
|
TOTALS
|
24-8
|
.750
|
11-3 (.786)
|
|
10/27/10
