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Jim Crowley enters his eighth season as head coach and 12th season overall on the St. Bonaventure bench. Under Crowley's guidance, the Bonnies have developed into a consistently competitive and hard-working unit on and off the court. His dedication and commitment to the program has established a strong foundation of future success for the Brown and White. Crowley's passion for the game has proved to be contagious as his energy and desire to win is evident every time his team steps on the floor. Following a season in which the Bonnies tied a Division I school record with 16 wins, Crowley and the Bonnies have launched themselves into a promising position for the upcoming season.
Crowley turned in his finest coaching performance on the sidelines after directing his club to a 16-15 overall record and the program's first winning season since 1997-98. The Brown and White notched seven more wins last season than the preceding 2005-06 edition. Midway through the non-conference slate, the Bonnies began to gain momentum after trading wins and losses to begin the season. Crowley navigated the team to a program record six-straight wins away from the Reilly Center, including a victory at Big Ten affiliate Michigan and a Wagner Holiday Tournament championship. Following the lead of their coach, the Brown and White reeled off seven road wins, tying a school record held since 1991-92, and 11 away from the St. Bonaventure campus for the year. Crowley and his club entered the Atlantic 10 Conference schedule with 10 victories. Crowley steered the Bonnies to a 5-9 mark in conference play, including a four-spot jump in the final standings from the previous season. The club advanced to the second round of the A-10 Tournament with a victory over Massachusetts before succumbing to No. 2 seed Temple. At the conclusion of the season, two members of the team received All-Conference accolades for their stellar performances. Freshman forward Dana Mitchell was named to the A-10's All-Rookie Team, while senior forward Audrey Latendresse was an A-10 Academic All-Conference Team selection. Throughout his career on the southwestern New York campus, Crowley has displayed the capability of developing his players to maximize their potential. His motivational and teaching skills have facilitated the advancement of his kids into all-around and fundamental students of the game. Under the tutelage of Crowley, Mitchell developed into one of the premier post players in the conference as a rookie. Through her growth in the Bonnies preseason program, Mitchell went on to lead the Bonnies in scoring at 13.1 points per game and finished her first season ranked third among A-10 rookies in scoring and fourth in rebounding. Latendresse matured into one of the upper echelon forwards in the Atlantic 10 by her final season under the watchful eye of Crowley. The Repentigny, Quebec native arrived on campus with little experience outside of the paint, but soon established a smooth stroke from behind the arc. In the company of Crowley, Latendresse left the school as only the seventh player in program history to post 1,000 points and 500 rebounds. She sits 11th on the school's all-time scoring list.
Since Crowley's appointment as head coach, the women's basketball program has made major strides in the classroom. His ability to find student-athletes who excel both on and off the court has proved to be a tremendous asset to the University and has helped prepare his players for life after basketball. This past season, the Bonnies earned its highest academic ranking in school history in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Academic Team Honor Roll. The 2006-07 team accumulated a grade point average of 3.594, which ranked third in the nation. Last year's ranking marked the fourth time in the last five seasons St. Bonaventure has earned a spot on the WBCA Academic Honor Roll. Furthermore, seven members of last year's club were named to the A-10 Commissioner's Honor Roll, which recognizes student-athletes who achieve a 3.5 GPA or higher. From the time he has taken over the reins of the program in 2000, each of Crowley's teams have posted a grade point average of 3.0 or better. Current Bonnies assistant coach Courtney Mattingly was a two-time A-10 Academic All-Conference selection during her playing days under Crowley. His efforts in providing his players with the proper guidance and support in pursuit of academic excellence has led to the graduation of every senior to wear the Brown and White since he has been in charge. In 2005-06, Crowley piloted his team to a quick start as the Bonnies were triumphant in their first five contests, including a tournament title at the St. Bona Shootout. The five-game win streak to begin the season was the best start in the program's 34-year history. Following the season, senior guard Stefanie Collins received honorable mention All-Conference honors and freshman forward Ashley Edwards was named to the All-Rookie Team. Throughout her career at St. Bonaventure, Crowley helped mold Collins into a perennial All-Conference selection. The 2001-02 A-10 Rookie of the Year became the only player in program history to receive All-Conference honors in each of her four seasons in the Brown and White. She developed into a dangerous scoring threat that vaulted her into sixth place on the school's all-time scoring chart with 1,421 career points. After her college eligibility expired in 2005-06, Collins continued her basketball career as a professional in Europe. Crowley escorted his team to several impressive victories in the 2003-04 campaign. The Brown and White posted an incredible victory over former Conference-USA member and current Big East affiliate Marquette. Following their defeat to the Bonnies, the Golden Eagles went on to advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Bonnies also picked up five conference victories, including a sweep of Massachusetts. In his second season in charge, Crowley ushered the Bonnies to their highest win total since 1997-98, posting 13 overall victories. In 2001-02, the Brown and White closed with a 13-15 record and a 7-9 mark in the competitive A-10 conference slate. Mattingly was named to the All-Conference second team following her role in the team's resurgence after recording averages of 13.4 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. Following the season, the Bonnies were pegged as a program on the rise by Women'scollegehoops.com for their rapid improvement.
In past summers, Crowley has provided his coaching skills for the Western New York region in the Empire State Games. In 2005, he guided the WNY open division women's team to a bronze medal. Crowley coached current juniors Katelyn Murray and Erica Schiefen in the summer of 2006. Crowley spent four years as an assistant women's coach on the Bonnies' bench before taking the lead role in March of 2000. As an assistant under Marti Whitmore, he helped secure double-digit winning seasons for the Brown and White in each of his four seasons as Whitmore's top aid. In two of his four years in the second seat, St. Bonaventure advanced to the second round of the Atlantic 10 Tournament. Prior to his arrival at St. Bonaventure, Crowley spent three seasons as the head women's basketball coach at his alma mater, Keuka College. The Windsor, N.Y. native compiled a 39-38 record at the Division III school. In his second season, the Storm posted a record of 18-10 en route to a spot in the ECAC Tournament championship. To display his versatility as a coach, Crowley also served as the head men's and women's cross country coach in 1994 and 1995. A 1993 graduate of Keuka, Crowley received a bachelor's degree in secondary English education. As an undergraduate student, he was a four-year letterman in men's basketball and captained the club in his final three seasons on the court. The Jim Crowley File Hometown: Windsor, N.Y.
Coaching Experience (14 seasons)
Playing Experience
Years as a Head Coach: 10
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