Bucknell University Athletics
Monique LeBlanc and Naomi Bronson Added to Bucknell Women's Basketball Staff
8/3/2005 8:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Aug. 3, 2005
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Bucknell head women's basketball coach Kathy Fedorjaka on Monday announced the addition of assistant coaches Naomi Bronson and Monique LeBlanc to the Bison staff.
Bronson, who is a 2001 graduate of Morehead State, has spent the last three years as an assistant coach for the Eagles. Along with daily practice organization and individual skill sessions, the Cincinnati, Ohio, native served as the director of scouting and travel coordinator. She was also the academic advisor on the coaching staff and was involved in the recruiting of student-athletes.
At Bucknell, Bronson will work closely with the Bison guards. She will also be involved in scouting, summer camps and clinics, along with fundraising and community outreach.
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In addition to her coaching duties, Bronson taught a pair of physical education classes at Morehead State. She also earned her master's degree in 2005.
Bronson, started her collegiate playing career at Cincinnati State Technical and Community College and was named a NJCAA Second-Team All-American her second season. She was also awarded the NJCAA Region 12 MVP the same year. After two seasons with the Surge, Bronson transferred to Morehead State for her final two years of eligibility.
"It is wonderful to have Naomi join our coaching staff," said Fedorjaka. "She is a bright young coach who possesses high standards and is committed to the student-athlete model. She is extremely dedicated and will work hard to ensure our program is at the top of the Patriot League."
LeBlanc, a graduate assistant coach at Northern Arizona last season, is a 2002 graduate of Bucknell and was a two-time team captain who led the Bison to their only NCAA Tournament appearance in school history in 2002.
As a member of the Bison coaching staff, she will work on developing the post players, scouting and as a planning summer camps and clinics. She will also coordinate the sideline coaches program.
A three-year starter for Bucknell, the Cumberland, R.I., native played in all 116 games during her four years in Lewisburg. She averaged 5.4 points and 6.4 rebounds per game as a senior as the Bison set a school record with 21 victories and captured their first-ever Patriot League title. LeBlanc finished her career with 522 points and 537 rebounds and was twice named the team's Defensive Player of the Year.
LeBlanc, a 6-0 forward, graduated with a bachelor's degree in mathematics and economics with a minor in education. She was a two-time Academic All-America nominee, and was a member of the University's Dean's List and Patriot League Academic Honor Roll. She also found time to give back to the community while a student by serving the Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC President) and Bucknell Athletes Against Drugs & Alcohol (BAAD), and attended the 2002 NCAA Foundation Leadership Conference as the Patriot League Representative. For her extraordinary service to Bucknell and local communities, LeBlanc was presented the Robert A. Latour Service Award at the University's annual Senior Athletic Awards Banquet.
Following her graduation from Bucknell LeBlanc spent a year as an accounting associate with Prudential Financial. During that time she was able to serve as the head women's junior varsity and assistant varsity basketball coach at Hanover Park High School in New Jersey.
In 2003-04, LeBlanc began her two-year stint at Northern Arizona, where she earned her master's degree in education in 2005. She spent her first year with the Lumberjacks as a graduate assistant in the compliance office, before moving on to her graduate assistant coaching position last year. Among her many responsibilities were recruiting and scouting, including coordinating the film exchange program. She also conducted individual workouts and was responsible for the development of post players on a team that posted a 19-10 record, the second-best in school history, as two of the post players she coached were included in the Big Sky Conference postseason awards. LeBlanc was also given complete autonomy in coaching decisions concerning the junior varsity program at Northern Arizona.
A veteran of the summer camp circuit, LeBlanc has honed her coaching skills as a counselor at camps held by Bucknell, Connecticut, Holy Cross and Bishop Feehan High School, her alma mater.
"I am so excited to welcome `Mo' back to the Bison basketball family," commented Fedorjaka. "Mo was one of the hardest working and best defensive players we have had and I fully expect her to bring that same blue-collar attitude to the program as a coach. Her loyalty and familiarity with both our program and the University are invaluable."
Bucknell sponsors 27 intercollegiate sports, including 14 women, at the Division I level (I-AA in football). It is a charter member of the Patriot League and has won the league's all-sports championship in 11 of the 15 years it has been contested, including seven of the last eight. Bucknell led the nation with a 100 percent graduation rate in the 2003 survey and ranks third in Division I in producing Academic All-Americans.
