May 9, 2006
FARMVILLE, Va. -- Longwood University Director of Athletics Rick Mazzuto has announced the appointment of Pamela Bass as the school’s new Women’s Basketball Head Coach. Bass has served as an assistant coach at her alma mater, Brown University, for the past five seasons (2001-06); bringing 13 years of NCAA Division I assistant coaching experience to the Lancers. Brown was the 2006 Ivy League tri-champions with Bass, a 1991 graduate, acting as the program’s recruiting coordinator and top assistant.
“We are delighted to have Coach Bass join the Longwood family,” stated Mazzuto. “She brings an outstanding educational and coaching background to the University.”
Bass helped guide Brown to an 18-10 overall record during 2005-06, including a 12-2 mark in league play. It was Brown's first Ivy championship since 1993-94, while the Bears have posted a 50-16 Ivy League record over the last four years. In addition to serving as the program’s recruiting coordinator, Bass has also been instrumental in the analysis, decision making, and implementation of all facets of the program’s management. The program’s defensive coordinator, director of scouting, and player development specialist had other areas of responsibility that included summer camp administration; coordination, planning, and management of the Brown Classic tournament; team travel, liaison for academics, marketing, and to alumni relations; community service programs and clinics; along with being an active member of the University community as evidenced by numerous committee appointments.
“It is an honor to be appointed the Women's Basketball Head Coach at Longwood University,” said Bass. “I would like to thank (Longwood President) Dr. Cormier and Rick Mazzuto along with the selection committee for this opportunity. The real star today is Longwood. The University, under the leadership and vision of Dr. Cormier, is growing, while maintaining its quality and focus on the development of our students as citizen leaders.
“I look forward to working with the student-athletes, the student body, the athletic department, the Longwood family and the Farmville community. Together, we will build a Division I program of which we can all be proud.”
Prior to her return to Brown, Bass was an assistant coach at Yale University (1999-2001), the University of Hartford (1998-99), the University of Illinois-Chicago (1996-98), and at Providence College (1993-96). She served as the recruiting coordinator at Hartford, Illinois-Chicago, and at Providence as the Friars were the 1996 Big East co-champions and where she was an assistant coach for the 1995 Big East All-Star Team that traveled to Australia. Bass also spent two years at the University of Texas (1991-93) as a basketball operations intern and administrative assistant, serving as a compliance assistant and marketing intern while Texas advanced to two NCAA Tournaments under head coach Jody Conradt, a former national coach of the year with the Longhorns.
A native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Bass earned her bachelor of arts with honors in American Civilizations from Brown where she was a member of the women’s basketball team as both a player (1988-90) and student assistant coach (1990-91). She earned her master of education in sports administration from Texas in 1993.
Longwood University is currently operating under all Division I rules and regulations, including the Division I scheduling requirements, while preparing to enter the final year (2006-07) of its four-year Division I Reclassification toward its official certification in September 2007.
