Saint Joseph’s College and Director of Athletics Bill Massoels have announced that Steve Harold has accepted the position of Head Women’s Basketball Coach. Harold will serve at the program’s 10th head coach in SJC history.
“This was an extensive search, featuring 100 applicants,” said Director of Athletics Massoels. “Steve’s credentials are impeccable and his tireless work ethic was on full display during the interview process. Our women’s basketball program has won over 500 games in its history and we feel Steve is the one to guide us back to our historically lofty standards.”
Harold comes to SJC after a successful six seasons at Drury University where his squads compiled a 129-52 record, including an 81-27 mark in the Great Lakes Valley Conference. The Lady Panthers won two GLVC titles (2008, 2010) in Harlod’s tenure while also capturing at least a share of the GLVC West title four times in six years. Drury qualified for the NCAA Tournament in Harold’s first five seasons in Springfield, Mo. advancing as far as the Sweet 16 during the 2009-10 season.
"I would like to thank President F. Dennis Riegelnegg, ED.D., Director of Athletics Bill Massoels, and the search committee for providing me the opportunity to build a program that the Saint Joseph’s community can be proud of," Coach Harold stated. "I am excited to lay a foundation and guide women’s basketball to new heights at SJC. Community service is an important component in the groundwork of a successful team. I want the community to get to know the student-athletes on the women’s basketball team as the extraordinary young women that they are." Coach Harold explained, "I want to create a culture backboned by work ethic and a winning attitude for the student-athletes. I will demand success on the court and in the classroom." Last season, Harold’s team led the nation in grade-point-average.
womens basketball
Prior to his tenure at Drury, Harold had a 262-107 record in 12 seasons at Glenville State College in Glenville, West Virginia. That includes a 33-3 mark – the best mark in school history – and an NCAA-II Elite Eight appearance in 2006-07, where the Lady Pioneers fell to UC San Diego in the quarterfinals to complete their sixth straight NCAA Tournament trip. After the season, Harold was honored as D-II National Coach of the Year.
Harold’s Lady Pioneers were a combined 63-6 his last two seasons and have posted 20 wins or more eight times, winning West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC) championships in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006 and 2007 to go with three WVIAC tournament titles.
In addition to NCAA-II East Region titles won in 2002 and 2007, Harold’s Glenville State squad was a regional runner-up in 2003, 2004 and 2006.
His ’01-02 squad finished 29-4 and reached the D-II national semifinals for the first time in school history. The Lady Pioneers also have finished no worse than No. 14 in the final USA Today/ESPN WBCA NCAA II national poll in five of six seasons, coming in at No. 6 in 2006-07.
Harold reminisced, "I am happy to return to a close-knit community in Rensselaer. I was reminded of Glenville when I first visited Saint Joseph’s College and I feel like I am returning to my roots." When asked about improving the women’s basketball record of 3-24 to 33-3 at Glenville State and how he plans on coaching his new team at SJC, Coach Harold exclaimed, "I am excited for the challenge! I will be able to rely on my previous experiences to create a successful environment for the women’s basketball team."
In addition to claiming the WBCA’s national Coach of the Year honor in 2007, Harold has been the East Region Coach of the Year twice and the WVIAC Coach of the Year three times.
The Glenville native received his Bachelor’s Degree in Physical Education and Business Education in 1987 from Glenville State and his Masters of Science Degree in Physical Education and Health from Radford University in 1990.
In his 18 year coaching career, Harold has established a career record of 391-159. Harold and wife Renee have two daughters – Katie (19), a sophomore guard for the Lady Panthers in 2011-12, and Allie (15), a sophomore swimmer at Springfield’s Glendale High School.
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