James Madison Director of Athletics Jeff Bourne on Saturday announced the promotion of Sean O’Regan to the position of women’s basketball head coach effective immediately. O’Regan previously served as associate head coach under Kenny Brooks before Brooks left for Virginia Tech on March 28.
“The group of finalists for this position was as strong as any hiring process that I’ve seen at James Madison,” Bourne said. “It speaks highly of Sean that he stood out among that group as best prepared for this opportunity. He has a tremendous ability to connect with and lead student-athletes, has demonstrated recruiting success that aligns with our philosophies for the student-athlete experience and he has been instrumental in the development of our young women academically and in their development as skilled basketball players. We are confident in Sean’s ability to continue the success of this program and grow it under his leadership in the future.”
JMU will formally introduce O’Regan at a press conference to be held on Tuesday, April 12 at 3 p.m. in the JMU Convocation Center. The public is welcome at the free event, which will also be streamed live on MadiZONE HD SportsNet presented by the JMU Alumni Association.
O’Regan has coached on the JMU women’s basketball sidelines for nine seasons, returning to his alma mater for the 2007-08 season as an assistant coach. He continued to ascend the Dukes’ coaching ranks, being elevated to associate head coach in 2012.
“I’m so thankful for this incredible opportunity to build on the established success of the JMU women’s basketball program,” O’Regan said. “To be the head coach of a team of this caliber has always been a dream of mine. I’m thrilled to continue to work with this group of players and to give the fans another exciting season. I want to thank Jeff Bourne for trusting me with this program and of course Kenny Brooks for helping me get to where I am as a coach today.”
Most recently, O’Regan served as the primary guards coach and handled scheduling. He has also been a primary coach for post players, the junior-college transfer recruiter and community relations coordinator.
In O’Regan’s nine seasons at JMU, the Dukes have averaged over 26 wins per year and have advanced to postseason play all nine years. JMU teams have a record of 239-70, a winning percentage of .773, during his tenure (2007-16).
The Dukes have advanced to the postseason all nine years O’Regan has been on staff with five trips to the NCAA Tournament. In 2014, JMU won its first tournament game since 1991 by defeating sixth-seeded Gonzaga 72-63 in the first round.
In 2015-16, JMU captured its third consecutive Colonial Athletic Association championship and fifth overall with O’Regan on the bench. The Dukes have also featured five CAA Players of the Year, all of whom were guards, over the last nine years.
A JMU alum, O’Regan got his start in coaching as a student manager for the Dukes’ men’s basketball program and was a three-year head manager before graduating in 2003 with a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology and concentration in sports management.
After graduation, he went to Evansville to be the men’s basketball director of operations before moving into an assistant coaching position from 2005-07.
O’Regan is married to the former Cara Campo, and the two are parents to a son, Liam, and a daughter, Addison Susan.
Photo Courtesy JMU Athletics
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