Rest easy, St. Bonaventure women's basketball fans. Jim Crowley is coming back.
The head coach who guided the Bonnies to the Sweet 16 signed a contract extension. Details were not disclosed the deal keeps Crowley behind the Bona bench through the 2018-19 season. Last June, Crowley and Bona negotiated a contract extension through the end of the 2016-17 season.
The annoucement comes a few weeks after the Bonnies made Big 4 history advancing to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA basketball tournament -- the first time for a Big 4 program of either gender since the Bona men did it in 1970. The team went 31-4 and 14-0 in the Atlantic 10. Earning a national ranking and at-large berth in the NCAA field, Bona's season ended with a loss to national runner-up Notre Dame.
Bona's success drew national attention for Crowley, who was a finalist for the Naismith Award and won the ESPN.com National Coach of the Year honor.
In the last four years, the Bonnies have gone to the postseason four times with a 98-37 record.
"We are pleased to have Jim remain at St. Bonaventure," athletic director Steve Watson said in a release from the university. "This extension represents our commitment to him and likewise him to us. Jim has built a program which represents our University well on the court, on campus, in the classroom and in the community. We anticipate continued success under his guidance and leadership."
--- Amy Moritz
