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Entering her fifth season at the helm of the Black Bears, head coach Sharon Versyp's time at Maine has been marked by victories and success. Versyp has built Maine into not only a perennial power in the America East Conference, but also a nationally recognized program. In 2003-04, she guided Maine to the America East title and a trip to the NCAA Tournament. By posting a 25-7 mark last season and a 25-6 record in 2002-03, the Black Bears recorded back-to-back 25 win campaigns for the first time in school history. Yearly Improvements, Achievements at Maine: Since arriving at Maine on May 15, 2000 as the fifth head coach in program history, Versyp has become one of the fastest-rising head coaches in the country. In four seasons in Orono, she has a 78-41 (.655) record. Her 51-17 conference mark is the best league mark after four seasons by any Maine basketball coach - men's or women's - in school history. Last year, the Black Bears finished the regular season 17-1 in America East play, earning the top seed in the conference tournament. The squad topped eighth-seed New Hampshire in the first round, fourth-seed Albany in the semifinals and third-seed Boston University in the title game. With the victory in the championship game, Maine avenged its 2003 America East title game loss to the Terriers and gained a berth in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2000. In 2002-03, the Black Bears became only the fourth team in league history to go a perfect 16-0 in America East contests. Versyp guided Maine to a school-record 21-game winning streak on the way to a 25-6 overall mark. With their impressive record, the Black Bears were selected to the postseason WNIT. Following the regular season, Versyp was named the America East Coach of the Year. Versyp welcomed her first recruiting class in 2001-02, headlined by Kim Corbitt, Nicole Jay, Monica Peterson and Missy Traversi. With a young squad, the Black Bears posted a 16-12 overall mark and were fourth in the conference with a 9-7 record. In her first season (2000-01), Versyp helped Maine finish fourth in the league standings after being selected by the conference coaches to finish sixth. Under Versyp, Maine standouts have earned America East Player (Heather Ernest, 2003, `04), Rookie (Monica Peterson, 2002) and Defensive Player (Kim Corbitt, 2003) of the Year honors. Overall, 10 Black Bears have garnered all-league accolades in the last four seasons. With Versyp as her mentor, Ernest developed into one of the top players in the country. She was a four-time All-America East selection - just the sixth player in league history to be named to an all-conference squad all four years of her career. Ernest concluded her stint in Orono as Maine's fifth all-time leading scorer (1,804 points) and fourth on the conference career rebounding register with 1,040 boards. Prior to her senior season, she was an invitee to the USA Basketball National Team Trials. Ernest is now playing professionally in Luxembourg. Hitting the Books: Since arriving in Orono, Versyp has stressed academic success in addition to excellence on the hardwood. During the 2003-04 academic year, Maine placed 13th nationally among Division I programs in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association's Academic Top 25 Team Honor Roll. The Black Bears finished the year with a combined team grade point average of 3.314. Nine Black Bears were named to the 2003-04 America East Academic Honor Roll for earning GPAs of 3.0 or higher. Corbitt was named the top women's basketball scholar-athlete in the conference. Three members of the 2002-03 team earned GPAs of 3.50 or higher and garnered spots on the Commissioner's Honor Roll. In the spring of 2000, the women's basketball program was recognized for having the highest GPA of all the women's athletic teams on campus. Coaching History: Prior to her appointment at Maine, Versyp served as the top assistant at James Madison for three seasons under head coach Bud Childers. During her stint at JMU, she was the program's recruiting coordinator and was responsible for securing a top 25 class in 1999. Versyp managed team travel and budget allocation, coordinated team academic support as well as the strength and conditioning program. Additionally, she co-directed the JMU women's basketball summer camps, and supervised the Dukes' other assistant coaches in individual player development. During her stint at JMU, the Dukes posted a combined record of 47-41, including a 19-10 mark in 1999-2000. While at JMU, Versyp made her first trip to Maine when the Dukes played in the 1997 Dead River Company Classic. The passion for women's basketball in Maine - a hoops mania that, ironically enough, led one Sports Illustrated writer to describe the state as "Indiana with moose," - made a distinct impression on the Hoosier-state native. "I really enjoyed the hospitality, the crowds, the excitement and the obvious love and passion for the game," said Versyp. "It's great when you have support, and a great tradition of women's basketball." Before heading to JMU, Versyp was an assistant coach at the University of Louisville for the 1996-97 season. The Cardinals posted a 20-9 record during her one season, sharing the Conference USA regular season crown and earning a spot in the NCAA Tournament. Versyp began her coaching career in Indiana, her home state. She was head coach at Benton Central High School in Oxford, Ind. from 1993-96. From 1989-93, Versyp was the head coach at Lawrence North High School in Indianapolis, Ind., where she took a 0-18 team and transformed it into a Section Runner-up in two seasons. Playing Career: Versyp is a 1989 honors graduate of Purdue University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in speech communications and theater education, and a minor in health and physical education. While in West Lafayette, Versyp became one of six players in Boilermaker history to be a four-year starter. As a senior in 1987-88, she averaged 13.2 points and 4.3 assists. That season, she helped Purdue to a 21-10 record, its first 20-win campaign, and a berth in the WNIT for the first time. During her four-year playing career, Versyp received numerous accolades. She was an All-Big Ten selection in 1988 and also earned GTE/CoSIDA Academic All-America honors that season. Also in 1988, she garnered the Big Ten Gold Medal of Honor for academic and athletic excellence, and was named Purdue's Female Athlete of the Year. She received Academic All-Big Ten honors in both 1986 and 1987. As a high school player in Mishawaka, Ind., Versyp was awarded the top prep honor presented in the Hoosier state when she was named Miss Indiana Basketball in 1984. |
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