BU selects Conover as assistant women’s basketball coach 

Binghamton University (N.Y.) has added an experienced coach to its women’s basketball staff, selecting former State University of New York at Oneonta mentor Rich Conover as an assistant. Conover joins second-year assistant Melanie Stephens on the full-time staff of Laurie Trow, who is entering her second year as head coach in 1999-2000.

Conover, who took over as head coach of SUNY Oneonta last winter, guided that program to a post-season berth in his first year. Prior to that, he served as head coach at Castleton State (Vt.) for two years, compiling a 42-13 record (.763) with back-to-back NAIA tournament appearances — the first national bids in program history. His teams won two straight Mayflower Conference regular and post-season championships and led the nation in defense during the 1996-97 season.

He earned his bachelor’s degree in leisure resource management from Green Mountain College (Vt.) in 1987, and received his master’s in education from College of St. Joseph (Vt.) in 1993.

Conover joins a BU program that emerged as one of the region’s elite teams in its inaugural NCAA Division II season last year. Binghamton went 26-4, captured both the New England Collegiate Conference regular season and tournament titles, and received a berth to the NCAA tournament.

The school’s entire 19-sport athletics program will elevate to Division I status beginning in fall 2001.