ENDICOTT, N.Y. – St. Bonaventure head men’s basketball coach Mark Schmidt and head women’s basketball coach Jim Crowley were named the Basketball Coaches Association of New York Men’s and Women’s Division I Coaches of the Year by the BCANY selection committee on Friday.
Schmidt, who was named the Sports News’ Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year, guided the Bonnies this past season to their first A-10 Championship and first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2000.
Crowley, who was named ESPN.com’s National Coach of the Year and A-10 Coach of the Year, led Bonaventure to the best season in program history as SBU became the smallest active Division I school to ever advance to the Sweet 16.
It marks just the third time in the award’s history that both the men’s and women’s winners have come from the same institution, and the first time since Niagara swept the awards in 1993. The BCANY is comprised of basketball coaches of all scholastic and collegiate levels throughout New York State. It has given out the Coach of the Year award every season since 1984 for the men and 1986 for the women.
For Crowley it represents his second BCANY Coach of the Year nod as he also won the award in 2009 following Bona’s run to the Quarterfinals of the WNIT. Crowley navigated Bonaventure to a program-record 31 wins this past year, including a perfect 14-0 in the A-10 to win the regular-season crown. Crowley is the second St. Bonaventure women’s coach to win the award as Marti Whitmore won it in 1998.
Schmidt paced Bona’s to a 20-12 record, including a 10-6 showing in the A-10 in 2011-12. The 10 conference victories marked just the fourth time in program history with double-digit league triumphs, and first since going 11-5 in 1999-00. Schmidt is also the second St. Bonaventure men’s coach to win the award as Jan van Breda Kolff garnered it in 2002.
The BCANY Coach of the Year Awards will be presented at the 31st Annual BCANY Fall Clinic at SUNY Cortland Oct. 12-13.
Earlier this spring, both Schmidt and Crowley signed long-term extensions to remain at St. Bonaventure through the conclusion of the 2018-19 season.
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