Following a national search, Roberts Wesleyan Director of Athletics Bob Segave has announced that Kevin Clifford will be named the next head women’s basketball coach for the Redhawks.
“We are excited to introduce Coach Clifford as our new head coach for women’s basketball,” said Segave. “Kevin is an excellent basketball coach, a tireless recruiter and a coach who shares our philosophy of education for character. Kevin is a proven leader who can guide our program and build on the success the Redhawks have earned on the court over the past several seasons.”
Clifford brings in 13 years of college basketball coaching experience with the most recent being a three-year stint at Buffalo State College. In the 2017-2018 season Clifford led the Bengals to its most wins (13) since the 2013-2014 season and saw the team advance to the SUNYAC Semifinals.
Prior to his time at Buffalo State Clifford took over a struggling women’s basketball program at Mount Saint Vincent and coached them to their first-ever Skyline Conference Championship and a berth in the NCAA tournament. Clifford’s record at Mount St. Vincent was 47-34. The team had won just 17 games in the two seasons before he took over as head coach. Clifford was named the All-Metro Co-Coach of the Year and Skyline Coach of the Year in 2013-14.
From 2005 to 2012 Clifford worked at The City College of New York where he spent time as an assistant coach on the men’s basketball team and then took over as the women’s basketball head coach. Clifford also served as the Athletic Business Manager for two years during his time at CCNY.
“It is an honor and privilege to be selected as the next women’s basketball coach at Roberts Wesleyan College,” said Clifford. “I would like to thank President Deana Porterfield and athletic director Mr. Bob Segave. I would also like to express my gratitude to the entire selection committee for putting their faith in me to lead the women’s basketball program.”
Alongside his success on the court, Clifford has made an emphasis of high expectations in the classroom as well. While at CCNY the women’s basketball team had the most improved team GPA among all the other teams in the athletic department. The team went from a 2.5 average GPA to a 3.5 in a one year span.
“With a great tradition of academics and athletics, I am excited to join the Redhawks community,” Clifford mentioned. “I am looking forward to working with the women’s basketball program, building relationships in the college community and creating a culture that expects success on and off the court.”
Clifford was a four-year college basketball player at Sacred Heart University where he also earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology. He also holds a masters in elementary education from The City College of New York.
Coach Clifford will take over a Roberts women’s basketball program that has posted at least 20-wins in each of the last four seasons. He is set to officially begin his responsibilities at Roberts on September 10th.
https://robertsredhawks.com/news/2018/8/31/kevin-clifford-hired-as-head-womens-basketball-coach.aspx
