Steve Hancockenters his second season in his second stint as assistant coach ofthe Franklin Pierce women’s basketball program in 2013-14.Coach Hancock has been a valuable member of the program, includingserving two stints as head coach (1988-96 & 2009-12) andfilling the role as assistant coach from 2006-09; 2012-13.

Hancock has been a part of the mostmemorable moments in program history. He compiled a career recordof 211-114 over his 11 seasons as head coach and is theprogram’s all-time wins leader. During those 11 campaigns, heled Franklin Pierce to six NCAA Tournament appearances and threeconference championships. He retired from his head coaching dutiesat the end of the 2011-12 season, but remained on as assistantcoach to work with new head boss Jennifer Leedham.

IN HIS SECOND STINT AS HEAD COACH OFTHE RAVENS

Hancock returned to the headcoaching chair prior to the 2009-10 season. That season saw theRavens produce one of the most exciting campaigns of any sport inschool history. The 2009-10 squad produced a 32-2 overall record, asecond-consecutive Northeast-10 Championship, a third-straight NCAAEast Regional Championship and a trip to the NCAA Division II FinalFour. Along the way, Franklin Pierce began the season with23-straight wins and earned the program's first-ever No. 1 nationalranking when the WBCA placed it atop the poll in early January.

The Ravens also received extensive national and regional mediaattention, twice playing on national television, including athrilling 77-73 win at Bentley back on CBS College Sports Network.The program was also featured on ESPNU, USA Today, ESPN, the BostonGlobe, NESN and NESN.com(.)

A trio of Ravens earned post-seasonaccolades, including Johannah Leedham, who capped her brilliantcareer by winning three national player-of-the-year awards fromWBCA/State Farm, Daktronics and Women's Division II Bulletin. Shealso was named the Northeast-10 Player of the Year for thethird-straight year. Sophomore center Jewel White came on stronglate in the season and her play enabled her to be named to theNortheast-10 and NCAA East Regional All-Tournament Teams. Juniorguard Cynthia Gaudet proved to be one of the top scorers in theleague and was named to the all-conference third-team.

With all that team and individualsuccess, Hancock was named the Northeast-10 Coach of the Year forhis superb guidance of the program.

The 2010-11 season looked to be aninteresting one as the Ravens sought to make up for the graduationof Leedham. Franklin Pierce was expecting to rely on its two seniorleaders in Cynthia Gaudet and Tori Ahrens, but both players werelost to injury for the entire season prior to the opening tip ofthe campaign.

The setbacks, though, did not serveas an excuse as Hancock helped guide the Ravens to a 24-8 record, atrip to the Northeast-10 Championship game and the program'sfourth-consecutive trip to the NCAA Division II Tournament. Whitehad a remarkable season as she was named the NE-10 and DaktronicsEast Region Player of the Year, while also garnering First-TeamAll-America honors from the organization. Junior forward MarielleGiroud was a stopper on the defensive end, and thus was named theleague's defensive player of the year.

Following the season, FranklinPierce earned more success as a team, this time coming off thecourt as they were placed in the WBCA's Academic Top-25 Poll forearning a team GPA of 3.524. The Ravens were the only team from theNE-10 to make the impressive list.

Hancock’s final season of2011-12 was a strong one as well. He led the Ravens to a 20-10record and the program’s fifth-consecutive trip to the NCAATournament. White was named to the All-NE-10 First-Team and earnedthree more All-America honors. Giroud was named the league’sdefensive player of the year for the second time in as manyseasons.

The team was once again recognizedfor its academics as the Ravens earned the NE-10’s TeamAcademic Excellence Award for the sport of women’sbasketball. Franklin Pierce produced a 3.4 team GPA which earnedthem a No. 21 national ranking in the WBCA Academic Top-25Poll.

Before Hancock resumed the headcoaching duties in 2009, he served the previous three years asformer coach Mark Swasey's assistant in which the Ravens posted arecord of 73-23 (.760), capturing back-to-back NCAA Division IIRegional titles and winning both the Northeast-10 Conferenceregular season and tournament championships in 2009. FranklinPierce set a then-program record with 29 wins en route to makingits first ever appearance in the national championship game in2009.

A TERRIFIC FIRST STINT INRINDGE

Following Swasey's departure,Hancock resumed control of the women's basketball program atFranklin Pierce after a 13-year break from that capacity. In hisfirst stint as head coach, he led the Ravens to a 135-92 (.590)record over eight seasons from 1988-96, which included three NCAATournament berths and two New England Collegiate Conference (NECC)Championships. Hancock was twice named NECC Coach of the Year,earning the honors in 1991-92 and '93-'94.

Hancock's teams posted a 101-45(.692) record over his last five seasons at the helm, including a63-19 (.768) mark in NECC play. The Ravens set a then-school recordfor wins during a 24-7 campaign in 1991-92 (which stood until the2007-08 season), claiming the first NECC Championship and NCAATournament berth in program history. He left the program followingthe 1995-96 season to accept an increased role as administrator inthe Gardner (Mass.) School system.

Hancock has an incredible eye fortalent as his programs in the late-1980's and 1990's produced 10All-NECC performers, including 1990-91 NECC Rookie of the Year DinaSawicki, 1992-93 NECC Rookie of the Year Cassie Beckwith and1993-94 NECC Player of the Year Kelly Jewett, five ECAC All-Starsand five Franklin Pierce Athletics Hall of Fame inductees.

Hancock, who retired in 2006 after35 years as a teacher and administrator in the Gardner schoolsystem, currently resides in Gardner with his wife, Rosemary. Thecouple has two grown children, a son, Chris, and daughter, Mary.Chris played college baseball at Haverford College in Pennsylvania,while his daughter played softball at Assumption College.

Steve Hancock by the numbers...

Head Coach at Franklin Pierce

                                                       Overall           Conference

Assistant Coach at Franklin Pierce

                                                    Overall               NE-10