NEW HAMPSHIRE
bill herrion head coach
Bill Herrion, one of the most successful coaches in America East men’s basketball history, begins his seventh season at the University of New Hampshire with a legitimate chance to bring the first conference title in school history to Durham. Herrion’s first six years have yielded numerous achievements such as being fifth all-time on UNH’s wins list (70), second all-time in wins during a coach’s first five years at UNH, and only the second coach in program history to reach 50 wins in less than five full seasons. It is the previous three seasons, however, that Herrion hopes to build upon after becoming the first head coach in program history to reach three conference semifinals and just the second to make back-to-back semifinal appearances. Last season Herrion guided New Hampshire to a 12-18 record, putting together another successful campaign despite a plethora of injuries, finishing with double-digit victories for the third straight year. UNH earned the No. 7 seed in the America East tournament, but fell to second-seeded and eventual conference champion Boston University in the quarterfinals. Despite the loss, the Wildcats made their mark as one of the country’s best defensive teams, ranking 18th nationally in scoring defense by holding opponents to 60.9 points per game. In the season prior UNH posted a 13-17 record and achieved numerous accomplishments that had not been reached in 15-plus seasons, including best home record (9-4) and best non-conference record (7-7). The team yielded the fewest points per game (62.4 ppg) in at least nearly 50 years, reached New Year’s Day at .500 or better for the first time in 12 years and also reached multiple attendance achievements at Lundholm Gymnasium. Despite a 6-10 record in the conference, the Wildcats upset Maine in the quarterfinal round of the America East tournament with a 68-57 win to reach the semifinals, where they fell to Vermont. Year Team Record Postseason In 2008-09, Herrion led the Wildcats to their most suc 1991-92 Drexel 16-14 America East Finals cessful campaign in nearly 15 years. The ‘Cats finished 1992-93 Drexel 22-7 America East Finals 14-16, with 14 being their highest number of victories 1993-94 Drexel 25-5 NCAA Regional First Round since a 19-win campaign in 1994-95. The Wildcats 1994-95 Drexel 22-8 NCAA Regional First Round were 8-8 in the conference and grabbed the No. 4 seed 1995-96 Drexel 27-4 NCAA Regional Quarterfinals in the America East tournament, their best seed since 1996-97 Drexel 22-9 NIT First Round 2002. Herrion guided UNH to just its sixth semifinal 1997-98 Drexel 13-15 America East Semifinals appearance in school history and second during his 1998-99 Drexel 20-9 America East Finals tenure. The Wildcats nearly knocked off top-seeded 1999-00 East Carolina 10-18 CAA First Round Binghamton, coming within two minutes of making it 2000-01 East Carolina 14-14 to – and hosting – their first title game ever. 2001-02 East Carolina 12-18 Conference USA First Round Although the 9-20 record may not show it, the 2007-08 2002-03 East Carolina 12-15 campaign was a giant leap in the right direction for the 2003-04 East Carolina 13-14 Conference USA First Round future of the program. The Wildcats were picked dead 2004-05 East Carolina 9-19 last in the America East preseason poll, but ended up 2005-06 New Hampshire 12-17 America East Semifinals finishing seventh out of nine teams and nearly upset 2006-07 New Hampshire 10-20 America East Quarterfinals the second-ranked Hartford Hawks in the quarterfinal 2007-08 New Hampshire 9-20 America East Quarterfinals round of the tournament. UNH began the season with 2008-09 New Hampshire 14-16 America East Semifinals only five returners from the previous year and by the 2009-10 New Hampshire 13-17 America East Semifinals end of it, had only three of those players available to suit 2010-11 New Hampshire 12-18 America East Quarterfinals up. Six newcomers joined the program at the beginning of the year and all of them saw significant minutes, Totals including three who were in the top five on the team Drexel 167-71 (.702) in minutes per game. East Carolina 70-98 (.417) In 2006-07, the Wildcats posted a 10-20 record en New Hampshire 70-108 (.393) route to a seventh-place finish in the conference. The Wildcats were knocked out of the America East tournament in the quarterfinal round, falling 64-47 to eventual champion, Albany, for the second straight season. Picked to finish last in the preseason America East poll in the 2005-06 season, New Hampshire rebounded in the second half of the season to finish in fifth place with a regular season record of 11-16. The Wildcats posted a conference record of 8-8 that included a regular-season sweep against
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2011-12 NEW HAMPSHIRE BASKETBALL