University of Massachusetts women’s basketball and head coach Tory Verdi announced on Wednesday that Mike Leflar has joined the program as assistant coach. No stranger to the Commonwealth, Leflar makes the trek to Western Massachusetts after three seasons at Northeastern University in Boston.
“I’m very excited to have the opportunity to welcome Mike to the University of Massachusetts,” Verdi said. “I feel that his level of experience and knowledge of the game will greatly improve our program. His resume speaks volumes. He has impacted every single program that he has been a part of and we expect him to do the same here.”
At Northeastern, Leflar was promoted from assistant coach to associate head coach prior to the 2017-18 campaign. In his final year in Boston, the Huskies won 16 games including a program-record 11 victories in the CAA, capping the season with a trip to the WBI Tournament. That marked the program’s first postseason appearance since 1999.
“I am very thankful and excited to join Tory Verdi and his staff at the University of Massachusetts,” said Leflar. “Coaching in the region, I have always looked at UMass women’s basketball as having great potential. Over the past two seasons, Coach Verdi has built a great foundation. I am excited to be a part of the next step, helping UMass climb to the top of the Atlantic 10.
“When I visited Amherst I was very impressed with campus and the facilities, especially the recently-built John Francis Kennedy Champions Center. There is so much here for our student-athletes.”
Leflar came to Northeastern following a stint as Binghamton’s associate head coach in 2014-15. In his one season in New York, he spearheaded recruiting initiatives and was instrumental in beginning the rebuilding process for the Bearcats.
He spent a total of 10 seasons at Boston University both as an assistant coach (2004-12) and associate head coach (2012-14). Under Leflar’s tutelage, the Terriers were crowned America East regular season champions in 2009 and 2012 and reached the WNIT on four occasions (2009, 2010, 2012, 2013). Along with his role in developing offensive and defensive schemes, he led instruction for the team’s guards and post players.
Before his first coaching stop in Boston, he served in an assistant capacity at the University of Pennsylvania, where he worked with post players and helped the Quakers bring home the 2004 Ivy League title.
A native of Horsham, Pennsylvania, Leflar graduated from Boston College in 2002 with a bachelor’s degree in communications, while also completing minors in American studies and black studies. He has previously been invited to participate in Nike’s Villa 7 and has presented at the WBCA Assistant Coaches Roundtable.
Photo Courtesy UMass Athletics
http://umassathletics.com/news/2018/5/29/mike-leflar-named-womens-basketball-assistant-coach.aspx
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