Walking Away
Harrison does not seek reappointment after 2-28 season

By Paul Mullin
and Leo D. Rommel

What many speculated would happen finally has.

In a not-so-surprising move, Tori Harrison, 5-53 the past two seasons as head coach of Rider’s women’s basketball squad, declined to seek reappointment for next season on Monday, ending her brief yet turbulent three-year tenure on the job.

According to Rider Sports Information, the decision is effective Sunday, and comes at the end of a disappointing season in which the Broncs went 2-27 in the regular season to finish 10th in the MAAC and then lost to Saint Peter’s 74-53 in the first round of the MAAC Tournament on March 1.

“We wish Tori well in her future endeavors,” Director of Athletics Don Harnum said.

Harrison was hired as coach in May 2004 to replace the retiring Eldon Price. She came to Rider from George Washington University, where she filled the role of assistant head coach and helped lead the Colonials to the Atlantic-10 title in 2003 and appearances in four NCAA tournaments.

She also served as assistant coach at Minnesota and Clemson.

In her first year at Rider, Harrison led the team to its first MAAC tournament win since 2001 after going 9-20 overall. However, the team tumbled alarmingly the following year to second-worst in the conference, going 3-25.

Overall, the program has struggled to remain competitive since moving to the MAAC in the 1997-98 school year.

“What I’m looking to do is get somebody in here that can make this a competitive program night in and night out,” Harnum said. “Then we will raise the bar once we get to that point.”

This season began optimistically with a most-ever five 6-footers on the team, a lineup that seemed ideal given that Harrison was recognized as an inside-oriented coach. But youth and inexperience slowed the team and consequently, the team tallied just one conference win. The two wins were the fewest the Broncs have recorded since 1963-64, when they played just seven games and went 2-5.

At season’s end, Harrison’s 14-73 career record at Rider led to whispers, and then shouts, that her job was in immediate danger. One team source, speaking under the condition of anonymity, said a number of players were displeased with Harrison’s direction and coaching methods.

“I was disappointed that many of the players wanted her gone,” the source said. “I don’t think that’s any way to treat a coach that brought you in to play Division I ball because she obviously saw something special in you.”

Rider head coaches are part of the same bargaining unit as the faculty and contracts are discussed and renewed on a yearly basis, Harnum said.

The University did not reveal if Harrison received a severance package.

Harnum declined to comment on the specific reasons why Harrison left the post but strongly maintained that it was her decision alone.

“Her reappointment process was to begin with her submitting a document on April 1, and she told me that she was not going to go through with that,” Harnum said.

Harnum said that his main focus is to rebuild the team, which he said starts with the selection of a new head coach.

“I think there is potential already in the program,” Harnum said. “If we can get the right coach in here and get the ball rolling down the right path, I think the program can take off.”

According to Harnum, the process of finding a replacement for Harrison is still in its infancy, because of the fact that Harrison informed him of her decision just four days ago.

“With Tori just letting me know on Monday that she wasn’t going to go for reappointment, I haven’t had a lot of time [to look for a replacement coach],” Harnum said. “The process has begun, but it’s not that far along yet. I’m going to be very aggressive in going out and trying to attract some quality coaches to apply.”

Whichever coach is eventually brought in, he or she will inherit a quickly maturing team that will return eight of its 10 players from last season, including its top three scorers — Janele Henderson, Shaunice Parker and Kelli Sawyer.