Features: Dec. 3, 2001

On the Ball: New Coach Heads Women's Basketball Team

Rensselaer's women's basketball squad, which last season won a school-record 23 games (23-5), won the Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association Tournament, and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in the program's 25-year history, has a new head coach. John Greene replaced Kim Rybczyk and inherited a team that features 10 players from last year's winning squad.

"You will not find any team members with a better work ethic and dedication," says Greene, who was named head coach this fall. "The returning players have tasted success that they've earned through hard work, commitment, and attention to detail and they are instilling this formula for success in the freshmen. My objective is to help them continue on this path."

Originally from Somerville, Mass., Greene, 35, earned a B.A. in history and English from the University of Massachusetts and an M.A. in physical education from Springfield College. Last summer, he was selected from among the top coaches in the country to represent the United States as a coach at the 2001 World Scholar-Athlete Games.

Before coming to Rensselaer, Greene served as women's basketball coach for two years at the University of Bridgeport. Under his leadership, the UB team was honored with the Arthur Ashe Scholar Athlete Award and the NYCAC Ann Adamchik Sportsmanship Award.

For more information on women's basketball and Rensselaer's other varsity sports, visit the Athletics Web site at http://www.rpi.edu/dept/athletics or call ext. 6685.