An east coast native, Bonvicini graduated from Southern Connecticut State in 1975 and was a finalist for the 1976 U.S. Olympic basketball team. Soon after graduating, she made her first trip to the west coast and, despite friends and family assuming she would quickly return home, she resolved not to give up. Her determination paid off.
In 1977, she was hired at Long Beach State by Frances Schaafsma, one of the pioneers for females in both collegiate sport and administration, as an assistant coach. Two years later, as Schaafsma would go on to serve in administration, Bonvicini earned her first head coaching job at just 25 years old.
“I was very young and, after I recruited five freshmen the year before, we were a very young team as well,” Bonvicini remembers. “But we were top 10 from that first week for almost every week throughout my 12 years at Long Beach State because I had great assistants who helped me a lot and some really, really good players.”
As a young coach, she knew she may be viewed as being at a disadvantage but she made a promise to herself early on.
“We were doing things way, way ahead of our time. My thing was that no one was going to outwork me, in recruiting or on the floor. My college coach set a standard for me, pushed me, and expected the best, and that’s what I do for myself, my staff, and my players. I work hard, I pride myself on that; I’m a winner and that’s what I expect to do.”
Her early determination paid off.
She won her first game as a head coach, a 97-67 win vs. Drake on Nov. 17, 1979, and the team would start her inaugural season on an eight game win streak, including wins over Nebraska, Pepperdine, and women’s basketball powerhouses Stanford and Tennessee. Advancing to the AIAW Quarterfinals her first two seasons, she would lead the 49ers to the NCAA Tournament each of the remaining 10 years of her career.
Over 35 years later, she remembers almost every game like it was yesterday.
“We played Drake University and we won by 30,” she remembers without prompting. “LaTaunya Pollard, a freshman and my first All-American, she hit her first 10 jumpers in a time before the three-point shot.”
After amassing a 55-13 record in her first two seasons, Bonvicini was named 1981 NCAA Division I Coach of the Year at the advanced age of 28, unprecedented success for the young head coach.
“People really had started taking notice of what we were doing and it was exciting. I remember getting Coach of the Year and I knew it was a big deal, but I was so young. They flew me to New York and I was picked up by a limo and my parents came from Connecticut. I sat next to Earl Monroe, they called him “The Pearl”, who played for the Knicks. It was a great honor and sometimes when you get that kind of thing so young, you don’t realize how important or special it is. Now I can put it in perspective.”
After 12 years in southern California, she moved on to the University of Arizona where she would be at the helm for the next 17 years and become the all-time most successful coach in Arizona women’s basketball history. She led the Wildcats to nine postseason appearances, including seven NCAA Tournament berths and the WNIT Championship in 1996.
Going from playing and coaching at the AIAW level and through the advancement of women’s sport to the NCAA level, Bonvicini has seen the improvement – and looks forward to continuing growth of women’s opportunities.
“To watch AIAW grow as a coach after playing, it was exciting. When I played, I know the championship game was on TV and maybe the Final Four. But to see games on TV all the time, that’s awesome. Has it changed? Yes. Everyone’s on scholarship, the facilities are better, the media is better, attendance has grown, but it’s a never-ending thing. The gender equality that came from Title IX – we have a new facility now because of Title IX; that’s why I try to teach our players to appreciate it. Do I think Title IX has played a huge part in advancing women’s opportunities? Absolutely. Do I think it still has room to grow? 100%.”
In August 2009, after leaving Arizona a year earlier, Bonvicini had another opportunity to coach, this time to revive a struggling Seattle University program. Four years later, she would lead the team to the school’s first regular season conference title since returning to Division I.
“Honestly, winning here was one of my favorites. Seattle U is a fabulous school, to be at a school that really appreciates when you do something special is great. To win it the first year were Division I, our first year in the WAC when we were preseason fourth place. It was an unbelievable thing and it really set the stage for other sports here and set the bar high. I think that definitely was something I’m very, very proud of. I really want to thank Father Steve, Tim Leary, and Bill Hogan for the opportunity.”
Bonvicini is now on an elite list of coaches, ranking 10th among active Division I women’s basketball coaches. She follows a long line of successful coaches including Tennessee’s Pat Summitt, UConn’s Geno Auriemma, and Stanford’s Tara VanDerveer, among others.
“Pat and I played against each other and then I coached against her my first year and won. I have a great deal of respect for her and then what Geno has done at Connecticut is unbelievable. Tara is probably the one I’m closest to and we played against each other in the national tournament. I have a great deal of respect for all of them – they’re friends and peers – to even be in the same conversation with them is an honor.”
Perspective, balance, and integrity are three key lessons Bonvicini has learned throughout her career and that stick with her today.
“My favorite quote is ‘The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary’. There are no shortcuts and I believe in doing things with integrity. I’m so competitive and I’ve been involved in recruiting some of the best players in the country and I’ve seen some crazy things. I’ve learned that a player is only around a college coach for four years but your integrity is for a lifetime, and I don’t ever want to do something I’d be ashamed of. Perspective is also important – nothing is ever as good as it seems and nothing is ever as bad.”
Ever the coach and teacher, as those who have come before her have poured into her and made her the coach and person she is today, she loves to give back and bestow that knowledge upon up-and-coming young coaches.
“One of the most important things I tell young coaches is balance. When you start, you pour yourself into it, but there comes a time that you’re in a relationship and I think it’s important your family is involved with you, going to games, going on recruiting trips. Coaches are highly competitive so you also have to find balance to do the fun stuff. Players want to see that you’re human and that you care, and it makes them respect you more. It’s important whether they’re the leading scorer, whether they play or not, that you give them the same respect and time.”
Across her numerous years of experience, most importantly, the best part for Bonvicini has been the relationships with her student-athletes.
“They’ve taught me a lot. When you’re in their homes, you get to meet their families and know them on a different level. As a coach, though, you never assume. I’ve had kids come from tough backgrounds and for them to go to college was the biggest thing they’ve ever done. Others, you may think they come from a privileged background, but it doesn’t mean they haven’t had it hard too. Obviously I want to win, but I’m really trying to make them strong, independent women and leaders when they leave. It all goes back to integrity, doing things the right way, and that they’re working hard. When they leave, whether they continue playing or they’re in business, I want to make sure they’re successful and that they do the right thing. Parents really entrust us to take care of their kids and I just feel I’ve been very fortunate to know that I’ve hopefully had a positive impact on them.”
Now more than 1100 games and 700 wins later, she realizes that, in today’s time, it’s rare a person loves their job so much that they stay in it for 35 plus years.
“There are going to be times that things get hard, there are changes in AD’s, things happen. At Arizona, I had a player pass away and that’s really hard. Why have I done it this long? I have an unbelievable passion. When I left Arizona, I think people thought I was tired. Obviously, if anyone has been around me for five minutes, they’re never going to say that about me,” she quips. “I absolutely love what I do. I’m as competitive today as I was 25 years ago. I’m very proud to have [my 700th win] happen at Seattle U and this team means a lot to me. It’s a blessing here and I really appreciate the opportunity Seattle U has given me to coach this team.”
“The relationships I’ve had with players, my assistant coaches, people I’ve worked for at each school, athletics directors allowing me to do what I love to do, and then the fans too. To really think about it, it’s been wonderful.”