ATHLETICS
SPOTLIGHT ON
Bryant’s student-athletes continue to impress on and off the field.
TOGETHER AGAIN Tim O’Shea, entering his sixth season as head men’s basketball coach, has hired 61-year-old Al Skinner as his newest associ ate head coach, joining fellow associate Happy Dobbs. Skinner and O’Shea first worked together at the University of Rhode Island, where O’Shea was Skinner’s assistant from 1988 to 1997. The two were cred ited with recruiting the historic URI class that brought the Rams to the NCAA Division I Elite 8 in 1997. Skinner and O’Shea reunited at Boston College that same year when Skinner again hired O’Shea as his assistant. O’Shea spent four more years with Skinner, helping guide the Eagles to a Big East Conference Championship in 2001 in his final season at Boston College. Their roles have now reversed with Skinner assisting Shea as Bryant works to compete for an NCAA Tournament bid this season. In 22 seasons as a head coach, Skinner won 385 games and was a three-time conference Coach of the Year (twice in the Big East and once in the Atlantic 10) in addition to being named the 2001 NCAA Coach of the Year for winning the Big East championship. O’Shea now has two former Division I head coaches on staff (Dobbs coached at Brown from 1991 to 1999). Between Shea, Dobbs, and Skinner, the Bulldogs have three basketball coaches with a combined 43 years of D-I head-coaching experience.
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BRYANT FALL
2013
“The real beneficiaries are going to be our student-athletes,” O’Shea said.“Our program has been gaining momentum since we started the move to Division I, and bringing someone of Al’s stat ure on board only adds to that.” This past winter, Bryant won 19 games—a new school record in Division I—and qualified for Hall of Fame inductee Bill Conaty ’67 (center) with Wall of Fame contributor the College Basketball Invita Jeff Doppelt ’73 (left) and Athletic Director Bill Smith tional (CBI) in its first year of The Hall of Fame Induction the Black & Gold Club, was an D-I championship eligibility. Dinner served as a wonderful accounting major. Now Senior kickoff to the Reunion @ Vice President- Wealth STUDENT-ATHLETES Homecoming Weekend as Management for Merrill Lynch, HONORED Kevin Brown ’13 (Northborough, alumni, current members of the he enjoys cheering for Bulldog Hall of Fame, several Bryant teams when they play near his MA), named NEC Player of the trustees and family, as well as home on Long Island. Doppelt Year, also earned a 2013 NEC remembers well the thrill of Scholar-Athlete award in baseball. coaches and friends filled the Heidi and Walter Stepan Grand playing varsity baseball. He still A total of 74 student-athletes Hall in the George E. Bello Center. owns the record for the first ever from Bryant were named to the Honorees included: Bulldog home run hit on the NEC Spring 2013 Academic Bill Conaty ’67 (baseball), new Smithfield campus—a Honor Roll and an additional Nick Allegretti ’04 (men’s lacrosse), home run against Barrington eight were named to the Mary McConnell ’04 (women’s College. Commissioner’s Honor Roll. basketball), Michelle Lewis ’05 The Wall of Fame is scheduled to be installed soon. HALL OF FAME WELCOMES (field hockey and lacrosse), Maureen Burns ’06 (field hockey 10 NEW MEMBERS Around the turn of the century, and lacrosse), Michelle Muniz ’06 FULL STEAM AHEAD (volleyball), Casey Grange ’06 Bryant University added four Bryant’s softball team finished (women’s soccer), Sacha new varsity sports. The addi this past spring 21-22 overall and tion of football and field hockey Solomon ’07 (women’s tennis), 10-10 in the NEC, but won seven Lorenzo Perry ’07 (football), and of their final nine games, includ in 1999, followed by men’s Charlie Granatell ’08 (football). lacrosse in 2000 and women’s ing seven in a row between midlacrosse in the spring of 2002, April and early May, and finished were all part of the New Century SUPPORTING the final month of the season Plan for Excellence put forth by BRYANT’S WALL OF FAME with an impressive 14-7 record. The Hall of Fame Induction Dinner President Ronald K. Machtley. Three players helped lead the attendees also celebrated news This fall, five former studentsurge—shortstop Aubrey Mable that a gift from Jeff Doppelt ’73 is ’14 (Aurora, CO), outfielder athletes representing each helping to create a Wall of Fame of those new sports programs Lauren Guy ’14 (La Habra, CA) honoring the University’s Hall of and freshman/designated player were among the 10 individuals inducted into the Bryant Univer Fame athletes. Elle Madsen (Wheat Ridge, CO), Doppelt, who is a generous sity’s Athletic Hall of Fame. each of whom earned First Team supporter of Bulldog sports and All-NEC honors.