D3hoops.com: Notables

SWARTHMORE, Pa. – Swarthmore has named Renee DeVarney, current head coach at W.T. Woodson High School in Fairfax, Va., and former head coach at Duquesne, head women's coach.

"The department of athletics is very excited to have (DeVarney) on board," said Swarthmore athletics director Adam Hertz. "We feel her understanding of competitive athletics within the framework of an academic institution will further the success of the Swarthmore women's basketball program."

DeVarney, also a former assistant at William and Mary and West Virginia, replaces Adrienne Shibles, who resigned after nine seasons to become the associate athletic director at Gould Academy in Bethel, Maine.

"The blend of great academics and competitive basketball attracted me to Swarthmore, " said DeVarney. "I love being around the type of highly motivated students who enjoy a challenge. I look forward to competing for the Centennial Conference Championship each year and going to the NCAA Tournament."

In her four-year tenure at Woodson, DeVarney, a three-time Women's Sports Foundation High School Coach of the Year in northern Virginia, captured a pair of Liberty District Championships while compiling a record of 86-23. In 2004-05, DeVarney led Woodson to a 26-5 record, a No. 17 ranking in the Washington Post girls' basketball poll, and a spot in the state semifinals. She also taught astronomy and AP physics at Woodson.

DeVarney's success in Virginia extended beyond the high school season. In the summer of 2003, her first season coaching on the AAU circuit, DeVarney led the Fairfax Stars to the 15-and-under National Championship in Virginia Beach. In May 2004, DeVarney was selected by USA Basketball to be an assistant coach for the Olympic Youth Development Team.

DeVarney graduated from Vermont with a Bachelor of Arts degree in physics in 1985. She was a four-year letter-winner, playing guard for the Catamounts, and still ranks in the school's top 20 all-time in steals and free throws. DeVarney received her teaching certificate at George Washington in 2001.

The Swarthmore basketball program has won 97 games over the past five years, making four appearances in the Centennial Conference playoffs, including winning the 2001 Centennial Conference Championship and advancing to the NCAA Tournament under Shibles.

June 3, 2005