Longwood University Athletics

FARMVILLE, Va. – Longwood Athletics Director Troy Austin announced Friday that the university will part ways with women's basketball head coach Bill Reinson.
 
Reinson has served as head coach of the Longwood women's basketball team since the 2010-11 season after beginning his career at Longwood as an assistant coach with the men's basketball team in 2002-03.
 
"Coach Reinson and I both agree that the time is right to bring in new leadership to the women's basketball program," Austin said. "Coach Reinson inherited a difficult situation eight years ago and brought stability and organization to the team. In his 15-plus years at Longwood, he has been a tremendous advocate for his student-athletes, and I have never doubted his commitment to helping them develop as basketball players and as people. However, the results on the court over the past several years have not met the goals we maintain for this program.
 
"The success of Longwood women's basketball is a key driver of the strategic goals we have set for our department. As such, our expectations for the program are lofty, but achievable, and we will proceed with due diligence in finding the next head coach who can advance the program in that direction. I thank Coach Reinson for the time and energy he put into developing a foundation upon which our next head coach can build."
 
Reinson first took over the Longwood women's basketball team as interim head coach six games into the 2010-11 season. He was elevated to head coach of the program in April, 2011, and has spent a total of eight seasons at the helm. Prior to his appointment as head coach of the women's team, he was an assistant coach on the Longwood men's basketball team from 2002-10.
 
Reinson concludes his tenure as head coach with a 58-177 overall record and a 28-86 mark in Big South play. He led the Lancers to the 2013 Big South Championship game in their first year as a member of the Big South Conference and was named Virginia Coach of the Year by the Richmond Times-Dispatch following a Big South runner-up finish that season.
 
Longwood concluded the 2017-18 season 7-23 overall and 5-13 in the Big South.
 
"I am sincerely grateful to President Taylor Reveley and Athletics Director Troy Austin for affording me the opportunity to live out a lifelong dream of coaching college basketball," Reinson said. "More than 15 years ago, I came to Longwood looking for a coaching job. What I found was a community of people who quickly became, and have remained, family. That is one of the many special things about Longwood University.
 
"To the wonderful faculty and staff, I will always cherish your friendship and support. To the extremely talented coaches I have worked with, I want to thank you for the passion you brought each and every day. To the talented group of young ladies that I have had the privilege of coaching, I want to say thank you. Although we encountered many ups and downs, I have enjoyed every minute of my time with you. Finally, I want to thank former coach Shirley Duncan. Our friendship began shortly after I arrived at Longwood, and I am eternally grateful for the guidance and support she has provided me ever since."
 
Austin will begin a search for the next head coach of the Longwood women's basketball program immediately and will refrain from publicly commenting on that process until a hiring decision has been reached.
 
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