College of St. Joseph's Hires New Women's Basketball Coach

Rutland, VT- The new head women’s basketball coach at the College of St. Joseph in has a strong local connection.  Shane Lynch, a 2003 graduate of Poultney High School who lives in nearby Granville NY was recently hired to coach and to serve as the school’s Coordinator of Communications.  While at Poultney, he was a three-time letter winner in football and basketball.  Lynch, who graduated from Vermont Technical College in 2007 with a Bachelor of Science in Business Management, brings with him several years of coaching experience.  He was an assistant basketball coach at VTC before filling the same role at Central Maine Community College.  Those early experiences left an indelible mark on his approach to coaching.

“My coaching philosophies come from my two coaching mentors, John Dyer and Dave Gonyea, who taught me how to run a basketball program the ‘right way’,” Lynch said.  “I stress graduation rates and community and campus service over basketball.  For instance, we are running a clinic for local girls this preseason that will benefit local charities.”  On the court, Lynch plans to implement an up-tempo, hard defending style. He believes that a team that effectively utilizes the fast break and plays with intensity on the defensive end of the floor will be able to compete with any opponent.  You can also expect his players to make the extra pass. “I encourage the pass first, shoot second mentality,” Lynch said, that doesn’t mean, however, that he won’t encourage players to take the shot when it’s available.  “I would rather our player’s take an open 15 foot jump shot that work the ball for a contested 10 foot shot.  When they are open, I want them to shoot the ball.”  Some of his earliest childhood memories are of watching games at CSJ with his father. “I couldn’t be happier to be home.  Family is a major point of emphasis in our program.  I am fortunate to work and coach with my close friends and family nearby.  This was the perfect situation for me.”