Joan Bonvicini

Last updated
Joan Bonvicini
Biographical details
Born (1953-10-10) October 10, 1953 (age 70)
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1979–1991 Long Beach State
1991–2008 Arizona
2009–2016 Seattle
Head coaching record
Overall701–421 (.625)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships

Joan Bonvicini (born October 10, 1953) [1] is a former head basketball coach. Most recently, she was the head coach for the Seattle University women's basketball team, [2] [3] the Redhawks, and one of only 18 coaches in Division I women's basketball history with 701 career victories. [4] She was head coach at the University of Arizona for 17 seasons, leading the Wildcats to the Women's National Invitation Tournament championship in 1996. She was fired by Arizona on March 17, 2008, with one year left on her contract, after a disappointing 10–20 record in her final season. [5] Before joining Arizona in 1991, she coached the Long Beach State 49ers to a 325–71 mark over 12 seasons. During her tenure, the 49ers won at least 24 games each season, winning 10 Big West Conference titles and making 10 consecutive NCAA tournament appearances, including Final Four appearances in 1987 and 1988. [4]

Contents

Bonvicini is the all-time most successful coach in the history of University of Arizona. [3] She guided the Wildcats to nine post-season appearances, including one Women's National Invitation Tournament championship. [3] The Wildcats finished in the upper echelon of the Pacific-10 Conference nine years under her direction. In February 2007, Bonvicini reached the 600 win milestone, becoming the 18th coach in NCAA Division I women's basketball history to reach this mark. [6]

She coached many talented players at Long Beach, including LaTaunya Pollard, the 1983 Wade Trophy winner, 3-time 1st team All-American, 1980 Olympic Team member, and member of the women's basketball hall of fame; 2-time 1st team All-American and 1988 U.S. Olympic Team member Cindy Brown; 1985 1st team All-American Kirsten Cummings; and 2-time 1st team All-American Penny Toler, the current general manager of the WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks. [7]

At Arizona, she coached one All-American, five honorable mention All-American selections, one Pacific-10 Player of the Year, and 14 Academic All-Pacific-10 selections. [7]

Entering the 2009–10 season, Bonvicini held a career mark of 612–294 as a head coach, including a 287–223 record at Arizona. In Arizona's 2003–04 season, she led the Wildcats to a perfect home record and a regular season Pacific-10 title.

She is a 1975 graduate of Southern Connecticut State University, where, as a guard, she led her team to third and fourth place in the AIAW tournament (the AIAW existed prior to the NCAA allowing women to compete for national titles). Bonvicini was a finalist for the 1976 U.S. Olympic Basketball Team. [3]

Bonvicini was inducted as a player into the Southern Connecticut State University Hall of Fame in 1989, the Connecticut Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 1994 and the New England Basketball Hall of Fame in 2007. In October 1996, she was inducted as a coach into the Long Beach State Hall of Fame. [3] Bonvicini began her coaching career under the wing of two of the game's finest coaches: Darlene May of California State Polytechnic University, Pomona and Frances Schaafsma of California State University, Long Beach.

USA Basketball

Bonvicini was chosen as the assistant coach of the team representing the US in 1982 at the William Jones Cup competition in Taipei, Taiwan. The team started out strongly, winning their first four games by 16 or more points. In the fifth game, they were matched against Australia. The game was close until the end. With a half-minute remaining, the USA held a one-point margin. The USA extended the lead to three points on two free throws, the Aussies brought it back to one with two free throws of their own, and the USA hit two free throws with two seconds left in the game to secure the 65–62 victory. The next two games were easy victories, then the USA faced unbeaten Canada in the final game. The game was very close, but the USA fell to Canada 70–67 to finish with a single loss and the silver medal. USA players Lea Henry and Paula McGee were named to the All-Tournament Team. [8]

Bonvicini was the head coach of the team representing the US at the World University Games held in Buffalo, New York in July 1993. The USA opened with double-digit margin victories over Israel, Taiwan, and the Ukraine. Their next game was against Russia, and they held a single point lead with just over ten minutes to go in the game, but they finished strong, and won 72–55. The next game was against Cuba, which included six players from their 1992 Olympic team. The USA pulled out to a 15-point lead at halftime, had extended to an 18-point lead at one time, but Cuba proved to be too strong, and came back to defeat the USA 88–80. After beating Japan, the USA faced China, whose team also featured many members of their silver medal-winning Olympic team. The USA fell behind; their comeback attempt fell two points shy of tying the game. The final score in favor of China was 75–73. The opponent in the bronze medal game was Lithuania. The USA team won 83–73 to earn the bronze medal. [9]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pat Summitt</span> American basketball player and coach (1952–2016)

Patricia Susan Summitt was an American women's college basketball head coach who acquired 1,098 career wins, the most in college basketball history at the time of her retirement. She served as the head coach of the University of Tennessee Lady Vols basketball team from 1974 to 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lute Olson</span> American basketball player and coach (1934–2020)

Robert Luther "Lute" Olson was an American basketball coach, who was inducted into both the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame. He was the head coach of the Arizona Wildcats men's team for 25 years. He was also head coach for the Iowa Hawkeyes for nine years and Long Beach State 49ers for one season. Known for player development and great recruiting, many of his former players have gone on to have impressive careers in the NBA. On October 23, 2008, Olson announced his retirement from coaching. Olson died on August 27, 2020, in Tucson, Arizona. He was 85 years old.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anne Donovan</span> American basketball player and coach

Anne Theresa Donovan was an American women's basketball player and coach. From 2013 to 2015, she was the head coach of the Connecticut Sun.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tara VanDerveer</span> American basketball coach (born 1953)

Tara Ann VanDerveer is a retired American basketball coach who was the head women's basketball coach at Stanford University from 1985 until her retirement in 2024. Designated the Setsuko Ishiyama Director of Women's Basketball, VanDerveer led the Stanford Cardinal to three NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championships: in 1990, 1992 and 2021. She stepped away from the Stanford program for a year to serve as the U.S. national team head coach at the 1996 Olympic Games. VanDerveer is the 1990 Naismith National Coach of the Year and a ten-time Pac-12 Coach of the Year. She is also one of only nine NCAA Women's Basketball coaches to win over 900 games, and one of ten NCAA Division I coaches – women's or men’s – to win 1,000 games. VanDerveer was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002. On December 15, 2020, she passed Pat Summitt for most wins in women's college basketball history. On January 21, 2024, she won her 1,203rd game as a head coach, becoming the head coach with the most wins in college basketball history, women’s or men’s.

Denise Curry is an American former basketball player and college and professional basketball coach. Curry was inducted in the inaugural class at the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laura Berg</span> American softball coach and former player

Laura Kay Berg is an American college softball head coach for Oregon State and a former collegiate four-time All-American and Olympian. She played for the Fresno State Bulldogs from 1994–98, where she won the 1998 Women's College World Series and owns the Western Athletic Conference career records in hits, runs and triples. She is one of only four women to have won four Olympic medals in softball, having won a medal at every Olympics the sport was contested. She is second all-time in NCAA Division I career hits and at-bats. She is also a USA Softball Hall of Fame honoree.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adia Barnes</span> American basketball coach and player (born 1977)

Adia Oshun Barnes is an American basketball coach and former player. She is currently the head coach of the University of Arizona Wildcats women's basketball. She played at the collegiate level for the University of Arizona, and played seven seasons in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) with the Houston Comets, Seattle Storm, Minnesota Lynx, and Sacramento Monarchs. She has played internationally with Dynamo Kiev in Ukraine. Barnes has also served as a TV color analyst for Seattle Storm game broadcasts.

Frances M. Schaafsma was a pioneer in women's sports in both basketball and volleyball, as well as a pioneer in collegiate athletics administration for female athletes. Her books on these two sports were among the first and best-known on the subjects. Women's Basketball, Physical Education Activities Series was published in 1966 and Basketball for Women was published in 1971. Volleyball for Coaches and Teachers was first published in 1974; a second edition was published in 1985. Volleyball, Exploring Sports Series was published in 1984.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Villanova Wildcats</span> Athletic teams of Villanova University

The Villanova Wildcats are the athletic teams of Villanova University. They compete in the Big East for every sport; except football and women's rowing where they compete in the Coastal Athletic Association, and women's water polo where the compete in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. On December 15, 2012, Villanova and the other six, non-FBS schools announced that they were departing the Big East for a new conference. This conference assumed the Big East name on July 1, 2013.

Theresa Marie Shank Grentz is an American college basketball coach. Her coaching career spanned five decades, with over 680 career wins, multiple national and conference coaching awards, and a national championship. She is a member of the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nell Fortner</span> American basketball player and coach

Nell Fortner is the current women's college basketball coach at Georgia Tech. She is most well known for leading the 2000 Olympics team to a gold medal. She has received numerous awards including the 1997 National Coach of the Year, the 2000 USA Basketball Coach of the Year and the 2008 SEC Coach of the Year. In April 2018, she was inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame.

Marian Elizabeth Washington is a former women's basketball coach, mostly known for her career at the University of Kansas, a post she held for over 30 years. Throughout her career, Washington achieved multiple awards and accomplishments which include achieving membership in the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame, leading KU to extensive victories, coaching her team in a number of NCAA Tournaments, and receiving the Black Coaches Association Lifetime Achievement Award. Washington was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2004.

The Kansas State Wildcats women's basketball program is the intercollegiate basketball program of the Kansas State Wildcats. The program is classified in the NCAA Division I, and the team competes in the Big 12 Conference.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seattle Redhawks men's basketball</span> College basketball team

The Seattle Redhawks men's basketball team represents Seattle University in NCAA Division I basketball competition. Established in 1946, the team was previously known as the Seattle Chieftains. The program experienced success during the 1950s and 1960s, reaching the NCAA Division I tournament eleven times. Led by Elgin Baylor, Seattle finished as the runner-up in the 1958 NCAA University Division basketball tournament.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Long Beach State athletics</span> Collegiate athletic teams of California State University, Long Beach

Long Beach State athletics, or simply Beach athletics, are the athletic teams that represent California State University, Long Beach. Teams compete in 19 sports at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level. Long Beach State is a founding member of the Big West Conference, and also competes in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation and the Golden Coast Conference for sports not sponsored by the Big West.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indiana Hoosiers women's basketball</span> College basketball team

The Indiana Hoosiers women's basketball team is the intercollegiate women's basketball program representing Indiana University Bloomington. The school competes in the Big Ten Conference in NCAA Division I. The Hoosiers play home basketball games at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on the university campus in Bloomington, Indiana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2013–14 Seattle Redhawks women's basketball team</span> Intercollegiate basketball season

The 2013–14 Seattle Redhawks women's basketball team represented Seattle University during the 2013–14 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Redhawks, led by fifth year head coach Joan Bonvicini, played their home games at the Connolly Center and were a members of the Western Athletic Conference. The Redhawks claimed the #3 seed in the WAC and advanced to their second consecutive WAC Championship game. The Redhawks would finish the season 16–16, 9–7 in the conference.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2015–16 Seattle Redhawks women's basketball team</span> Intercollegiate basketball season

The 2015–16 Seattle Redhawks women's basketball team represented Seattle University during the 2015–16 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Redhawks, led by seventh year head coach Joan Bonvicini, played their home games at the Connolly Center and were a members of the Western Athletic Conference. They finished the season 9–21, 3–11 in WAC play to finish in eighth place. They lost in the quarterfinals of the WAC women's tournament to Cal State Bakersfield.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arizona Wildcats women's basketball</span> University of Arizona team

The Arizona Wildcats women's basketball program is the official women's basketball program at the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona. Basketball is one of eleven women's sports at the University of Arizona. The team is a Division I member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Big 12 athletic conference. The team's home venue is the McKale Center, which seats 14,545 fans. The official team colors are cardinal red and navy blue. The Wildcats have qualified for eight NCAA Tournaments. On August 4, 2023, Arizona announced it would join the Big 12 Conference along with Arizona State, Colorado, and Utah beginning in the 2024-25 academic year.


Lataunya Pollard Romanazzi is a former college basketball player who played for Long Beach State from 1979 to 1983. With Long Beach, Pollard scored 3,001 points and was the 1983 recipient of the Wade Trophy. During this time period, Pollard played for the American team that qualified for the 1980 Summer Olympics before the United States withdrew from the event. While on the American team, Pollard won silver at the 1981 World University Games and 1983 FIBA World Championship for Women. Outside of America, Pollard played basketball in Europe from 1983 to the early 1990s. Pollard was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2001 and Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in 2005.

References

  1. ↑ "Women's Basketball Coaches Career". NCAA. Retrieved 30 Sep 2015.
  2. ↑ "Joan Bonvicini to Leave Seattle University after Seven Seasons". GoSeattleU.com. Retrieved 2016-03-30.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "Joan Bonvicini - Seattle University Redhawks Athletics". Seattle University. 2010. Retrieved March 4, 2010.
  4. 1 2 "Report: Seattle to hire ex-Arizona coach". Associated Press. August 3, 2009. Retrieved March 4, 2010.
  5. ↑ "Bonvicini fired after 17 seasons with Wildcats". Associated Press. March 17, 2008. Retrieved March 4, 2010.
  6. ↑ "Arizona tops Oregon St., giving Bonvicini win No. 600". Associated Press. February 8, 2007. Archived from the original on June 4, 2011. Retrieved March 4, 2010.
  7. 1 2 "Joan Bonvicini Biography". University of Arizona Athletics Department. 2009. Archived from the original on July 27, 2011. Retrieved March 4, 2010.
  8. ↑ "1982 WOMEN'S R. WILLIAM JONES CUP". USA Basketball. Archived from the original on 28 April 2013. Retrieved 18 May 2013.
  9. ↑ "SIXTEENTH WORLD UNIVERSITY GAMES -- 1993". USA Basketball. Archived from the original on 29 April 2013. Retrieved 22 May 2013.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.