Joan Bonvicini, one of the most successful coaches in women’s collegiate basketball history and former coach at the University of Arizona and Long Beach State, has been named head coach of the Seattle University women’s basketball team. Bonvicini will lead the team in its first full season in Division I.
Bonvicini brings a 612-294 (.676) record to the university and is 26th on the NCAA all-time wins list for women’s college basketball at all levels. She became the 18th coach in NCAA Division I women’s basketball history to reach the 600-win mark in February 2007.
“This year, Seattle University’s basketball program is making history, and we are thrilled to have someone of Joan’s stature and experience join our team,” said Bill Hogan, director of athletics. “She is uniquely qualified to take our program to new and exciting heights.”
At Arizona, Bonvicini accumulated a 287-223 (.563) record over 17 seasons and led the Wildcats to nine postseason appearances, including seven NCAA Tournament berths and the WNIT Championship in 1996. She was head coach at Arizona from 1991 to 2008.
“I am thrilled to join the team at Seattle University and to return to the sidelines as a head coach,” Bonvicini said. “I am here to build champions.”
Bonvicini is in five halls of fame: the Southern Connecticut State Hall of Fame (1989), the Connecticut Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame (1994), the Long Beach State Athletic Hall of Fame (1996), the Pima County Sports Hall of Fame (2005), and the New England Basketball Hall of Fame (2007).
She started her head coaching career at Long Beach State in 1979, posting a 325-71 record (.821) in her 12 seasons with the 49ers. Long Beach State never won fewer than 24 games in a season under Bonvicini. It took ten conference championships with her and earned ten straight berths in the NCAA Tournament, including Final Four appearances in 1987 and 1988.
A guard during her playing days, Bonvicini helped Southern Connecticut State earn third and fourth place finishes in the AIAW Championships. She was a finalist for the 1976 U.S. Olympic Basketball Team.