Beth O’Boyle named Met BWA coach of year
Stony Brook head coach Beth O'Boyle directs her players against New Hampshire during the second half of the America East Tournament semifinal women's basketball game in Albany, N.Y., Sunday, March 9, 2014. Credit: Hans Pennink
In just three seasons, Beth O’Boyle lifted Stony Brook’s women’s basketball program from the bottom to a runnerup finish last season in America East and a WNIT bid that was only the second postseason berth in the school’s Division I history. O’Boyle’s achievement was honored Monday when she was named coach of the year by the Met Basketball Writers Association.
The Seawolves (24-9) set a D-1 record for wins, finished 13-3 in league play and snapped Albany’s record 38-game conference winning streak on the Great Danes’ home court before losing a rematch in the America East championship game. Forward Sabre Proctor, who was one of O’Boyle’s first recruits, earned third-team All-Met recognition.
Two other area players, St. John’s Aliyyah Handford and Marist’s Emma O’Connor of Lynbrook, were named to the All-Met first team. All the award winners will be honored at the 81st Haggerty Awards dinner Tuesday night at the Westchester Marriott in Tarrytown, N.Y.
“It’s very exciting,” O’Boyle said. “You look at all the great teams in the metropolitan area that had such great seasons – St. John’s, Fordham, Rutgers -- that I really was surprised and honored by it. Stony Brook is such a special place that they really helped us be able to create a successful women’s basketball program. I think a large part of that has to do with the leadership and the vision President [Samuel] Stanley has for the athletic department.”
Stony Brook traveled to Michigan in the first round of the WNIT, suffering a lopsided loss, but the postseason experience is expected to help the program’s progress. “It’s huge for us getting to the postseason in March,” O’Boyle said. “It really gave our players a taste of winning. I think it’s really motivated them when they talk about where they want to go and how important for us it is to keep preparing and getting after it now so that it pays off in March.”
The Seawolves’ victory at Albany in the regular-season finale was a major step forward. Although the Danes went on to win their third straight America East title, Stony Brook poses a legitimate threat in the future. O’Boyle hopes to see an impact on the recruiting front.
“Now, we’re talking about helping us come in and take the next step,” O’Boyle said. “We’ve been in the championship game and the WNIT, but we want to go to the NCAAs. We’re talking to the recruits about what it takes to win a championship and get that ring.”
