Equipped with over 20 years of collegiate coaching experience, Geoff Lanier will join the University of Cincinnati women’s basketball coaching staff as an assistant, as announced by head coach Jamelle Elliott on Tuesday.
“We are excited to have Geoff become a part of our staff,” said Elliott. “He brings a wealth of basketball knowledge to our program with 20-plus years of coaching experience both as an assistant coach and as a head coach. From a recruiting standpoint, Geoff has spent quite a few years in the state of Ohio and has established great relationships with the coaches and players in the state which will be beneficial for us. I’ve known Geoff for over 20 years and I know he is going to bring great energy and passion to our staff.”
Lanier comes to Cincinnati after spending the last four seasons as an assistant at Kent State. In total, he boasts 22 years of collegiate coaching experience at various levels. At UC, he will serve as recruiting coordinator as well as engage in scouting, game preparation and player development, among other duties.
“I am honored and excited to join coach Elliott’s staff at UC,” said Lanier. “The opportunity to compete in a league that features the reigning national champion and to be part of a program that is committed to both academic and athletic excellence is something that I am tremendously excited about. Coach Elliott’s passion for this program is very evident and I cannot wait to get to campus and begin working with the staff and players as we prepare for the upcoming season.”
Coaching the post players at Kent State, Lanier also served as the team’s recruiting coordinator. His recruiting efforts yielded the signing of 16 players in his first 18 months on the job as well as a top-three Mid-American Conference (MAC) class in 2014. He also oversaw the development of four all-conference selections during his tenure.
Prior to his time in Kent, Ohio, Lanier had a four-year stint in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, as recruiting coordinator and assistant coach at Boston College. He aided in the Eagles reeling in the 11th-ranked recruiting class in the country in 2010 and helped cultivate the talents of 2011 WNBA top-15 draft pick center Carolyn Swords.
Lanier’s experience in the state of Ohio also includes stops at Ohio University from 2006-08 as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator and at Akron from 2003-06 in the same position. He contributed to the Bobcats’ 10-game turnaround season in 2006 which featured an eight to 18 win improvement over one year. OU also advanced to its first MAC Championship game in 22 years in 2008.
Previously, Lanier was the head coach at North Dakota College of Science from 1998-2003 while also serving as director of athletics at the school in 2002. While at the junior college, he was named Region XIII Coach of the Year three times and led his team to National Junior College Athletics Association (NJCAA) Region XIII Championships in three of his last four seasons.
As the top assistant at the University of Chicago from 1996-98, Lanier headed recruiting, organized team travel and also was the assistant facilities coordinator. He began his extensive coaching career as an assistant at Washington College in Maryland from 1994-96.
A native of Connecticut – where his relationship with Elliott began 20-plus years ago during UConn camp days — Lanier earned a bachelor’s degree in Physical Education from Southern Connecticut State and a master’s degree in Psychology from Washington College. He and his wife, Kim, have a daughter, Madison.
http://www.gobearcats.com/sports/w-baskbl/spec-rel/051016aaa.html
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