Siena Women’s Basketball Head Coach Ali Jaques has announced the addition of Shannon Bush to the Saints’ coaching staff. Bush brings nine years of Division I coaching experience to Loudonville and spent the previous five seasons as an assistant coach at the University of Vermont.
“I am extremely excited to welcome Coach Bush to the Siena Community,” said Jaques, who is set to enter her fourth year as Siena’s head coach. “I have known Shannon for a very long time. She was actually my first assistant ever at a camp we worked together about 10 years ago, and I have admired her commitment to women’s basketball and the programs that she has tirelessly worked for ever since. Shannon brings tremendous experience on the court and from a recruiting standpoint. She is the first person that came to mind when we had an opening, and I am grateful that she is now a part of our program.”
Bush served under Lori Gear McBride from 2010-15 at Vermont and was instrumental in bringing in some of the top recruiting classes in Catamount history. According to All Star Girls Report, UVM boasted the America East Conference’s top recruiting classes in both 2011 and 2012 with the 2012 class marking the first top-100 ranked recruiting class in program history. In all, Bush mentored four America East All-Rookie Team selections.
Bush began her coaching career as an assistant under Ed Swanson at Sacred Heart University from 2006-10, where she helped guide the Pioneers to 19 or more wins in each of her four seasons and 85 victories in total. Sacred Heart won two Northeast Conference Regular Season Championships (2007, 2009) during her tenure with the 2008-09 team going undefeated in conference play en route to winning the NEC Tournament Championship and advancing to the NCAA Tournament.
“I am so thrilled to be a Siena Saint,” noted Bush. “Coach Jaques and her staff have done an incredible job of putting Siena Women’s Basketball back on the map and I cannot wait to contribute positively to the future competitive success of the program.”
A native of Doylestown, Pa., Bush played collegiately at The College of the Holy Cross from 2002-06 where she appeared in 111 games including 17 starts. Bush was named to the Patriot League All-Rookie Team following the 2002-03 season and was named a team captain her senior year. During Bush’s four years the Crusaders won 78 games, capturing Patriot League Championships and making NCAA Tournament Appearances in both 2003 and 2005.
Bush graduated from Holy Cross in 2006 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and received her Master of Arts in teaching from Sacred Heart in 2008.
Bush joins Bridgette Mitchell and Sunny Vadopalaite as assistant coaches on Jaques’ staff. She replaces Stephanie McCormick who was named the head coach at Western Carolina last month.
Bush joins a Siena Women’s Basketball program on the rise. The Saints are coming off a 22-13 season in which the program advanced to the championship game of the Women’s Basketball Invitational. Siena’s 13-win improvement was tied for the second best turnaround in all of Division I as the Saints recorded the program’s most victories in a dozen years.
http://www.sienasaints.com/sports/w-baskbl/spec-rel/052715aaa.html
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