Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Men's Basketball Coach Pat Flannery Signs Contract Extension
3/30/2006 7:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 30, 2006
LEWISBURG, Pa. - After leading the Bucknell men's basketball program to a second straight record-setting season, Bison head coach Pat Flannery has agreed to an extension of his existing contract, director of athletics and recreation John Hardt announced today.
Flannery, a 1980 Bucknell graduate, skippered the Bison to a 27-5 season, a second consecutive Patriot League championship and a second straight march into the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 2005-06. Along the way, the Bison shattered the school and league single-season victory record and became the first team in Patriot League history to go unbeaten (14-0) in conference play.
Not to be overlooked, Flannery's team led all members of the 2006 NCAA Tournament field with a 100 percent graduation rate, and his program's performance in the NCAA's Academic Performance Rate indicator was well above the national average. In addition, the Bison set a school attendance record at Sojka Pavilion this season, featuring eight sellouts and the top 10 single-game attendances in program history.
"Bucknell University is privileged to have Pat Flannery as its head basketball coach," said President Brian C. Mitchell. "He is a leader who has not only brought tremendous basketball success to Bucknell, but he has also been a vocal advocate of the student-athlete ideal. The young men he has brought to our campus are future engineers, businessmen, writers and scientists that also play basketball extremely well. They are role models in the community who are here to experience Bucknell just like any other student. Remarkably, Pat's teams have maintained that focus while bringing national acclaim to our institution through their championship-level play on the hardwood, and their class and poise in the arena of everyday life."
Flannery, who just completed his 12th season at Bucknell, was awarded the mid-season Hugh Durham Award by CollegeInsider.com as the nation's top mid-major head coach, and he is a finalist and strong candidate for the end-of-year Durham Award, which will be announced later this week.
"We are thrilled that Bucknell's men's basketball program will continue to benefit from Pat Flannery's exceptional leadership," said Hardt. "Bucknell is committed to providing Pat with the necessary support to maintain a successful Patriot League program. The last two seasons in particular have been extraordinary. Bison Basketball has reached unprecedented levels of achievement, and people across the nation have taken notice not just of Bucknell's success, but also how the ideal of the scholar-athlete has not been compromised along the way. I look forward to working with Pat for years to come, as we strive to continue the growth of this great program."
"I am extremely happy knowing that my family and I will continue to be a part of this great institution," said Flannery. "I thank the university leadership for the trust it has shown in the work we are doing to continue to make the Bucknell program a success both on and off the court. The entire future of Bucknell University is extremely bright."
Flannery has helped usher in a new and exciting era of Bison Basketball. In 2003, Bucknell debuted in its sparkling new athletics and recreation complex and 4,000-seat arena, Sojka Pavilion. The program will also be welcoming its fourth scholarship class next fall. The fruits of these enhancements began to show in 2004-05, when the Bison finished 23-10, won their first Patriot League championship and, as a No. 14 seed, stunned Kansas 64-63 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
The bar was raised this season. Early in the year Bucknell defeated No. 17 Syracuse and DePaul on the road, lost a hard-fought home game against No. 4 Villanova, then won 17 straight Patriot League games, including three in the Patriot League Tournament. A 74-59 victory over Holy Cross at sold-out Sojka Pavilion, in front of an ESPN2 audience, brought a second straight league title and a return to the NCAA Tournament. This time Bucknell was rewarded with a No. 9 seed, by far the highest in school and league history, and it backed up the lofty placement by defeating Arkansas 59-55 in the first round.
In 2005-06 Flannery upped his career record to 294-194 and his Bucknell ledger to 199-151. With 12 seasons under his belt at Bucknell he is the school's second longest-tenured head coach, only behind his own former coach, Charlie Woollum. Flannery also ranks second on Bucknell's all-time wins list, behind Woollum's 318 (1975-94).
Since Flannery took over the coaching reins from Woollum in 1994, the Bison have continued their storied history of success on the hardwood. In his very first season back at his alma mater he led the Orange and Blue to an 11-3 conference record. Two years later the Bison appeared in the Patriot League championship game, falling to Navy by just one point on the Midshipmen's home floor. Bucknell returned to the Patriot League title game in 1999, this time suffering a tough four-point defeat at Lafayette, but the Bison finally broke through in 2005 with their thrilling championship game win at Holy Cross.
All told, the Bison have posted winning or even conference records in 11 of Flannery's 12 seasons at Bucknell, and he sports a league-record 105-51 (.673) mark in Patriot League play. Flannery has guided the Bison to at least the semifinals of the Patriot League Tournament in 10 of 12 seasons.
Off the court, Flannery and his student-athletes have been equally notable. The Bison have taken an extremely active role in the local community through the years, volunteering time to Central Pennsylvania youth basketball programs, the Heiter Community Center in Lewisburg, and the Janet Weis Children's Hospital at Geisinger Medical Center. Bucknell has also claimed six of the last nine Patriot League Men's Basketball Scholar-Athletes of the Year, including Chris McNaughton last season.
The only player ever to lead the Bison in assists four straight years, Flannery enjoyed an excellent career as a player at Bucknell. He captained the 1979-80 team that finished 20-7 and finished with 505 career assists, which was a school record at the time and still ranks third. He also registered 779 career points and was a 78.7 percent free-throw shooter. The Bison were 38-16 in his final two seasons, and he captained both of those squads.
Flannery, 48, led Lebanon Valley to the Division III national title in 1994 before returning to his alma mater.
