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 WCU head basketball coach Steve Shurina has signed a two-year contract extension through the 2005-06 season. |
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Feb. 5, 2004
Cullowhee, N.C. - Western Carolina Director of Athletics Jeff Compher announced that, based on his and WCU Chancellor John Bardo's recommendations, the University's Board of Trustees Executive Committee approved a two-year contract extension for Catamount head men's basketball coach Steve Shurina through the 2005-06 season.
"Coach Shurina has done a very good job of building our men's basketball program into a total program," Compher said. "He has stressed the importance of academics and is working hard to be sure that every player has a chance to earn a degree from Western. He has recruited well and has an excellent eye for character as well as talent. We have seen improvement competitively and I am confident that trend will continue.
"This is well deserved extension for Steve, his staff and most importantly his team. We appreciate his commitment to Western and look for continued success for our basketball program."
Shurina, whose four-year contract was set to expire this coming April, has led the Catamounts to an 11-9 record this season. He has done so despite having WCU's all-time leader in blocked shots Rans Brempong miss all but one game this season due to an injury and Brempong's replacement in the starting lineup, junior college transfer Lunzaya Nlandu, missing each of the last 11 games due to an injury as well. Despite the losses, Western has won 11 of its first 20 games in a season for just the 10th time over the past 27 years. However, over the past 18 years, the feat has only been accomplished three times, two of which have come during Shurina's four-year tenure. Shurina, the 16th head basketball coach at WCU, has a 38-69 career record to date and his 38 wins makes him the seventh-winningest Catamount basketball coach. At the completion of his new extension, Shurina would have six years under his belt and be the third-most tenured Catamount head basketball coach, trailing only Jim Gudger (19 years) and Steve Cottrell (10 years).
"I am very thankful for all those who have supported me, including my players and coaches, the administration, alumni, friends and the fans," Shurina said. "There is no question we are building a program, and I stress the word program, that everyone can and will be proud of."
Shurina has taken some unpolished gems and developed them into rare jewels during his time in Cullowhee. In his first season at the helm, Shurina brought in Brempong, a little known 6-8 post player from Thornhill, Ontario. Brempong would go on to tie a Southern Conference freshman record for blocked shots in a season with 93 and, with 225 for his career, he ranks not only as the WCU all-time leader but third on the Southern Conference career list. Brempong will be back in 2004-05 as a redshirt senior, pending NCAA approval, and will be on pace to become the league's all-time leader before his career is over.
The following year, Shurina snagged perhaps the find of the century in All-America candidate Kevin Martin, who leads the nation in scoring with a 27.1 average. Martin, who finished 11th in the nation in scoring as a freshman and 10th nationally as a sophomore, is on pace to lead the SoCon in scoring for a second consecutive season, a feat a Catamount has not done since two-time SoCon Player of the Year Frankie King did it in 1994 and '95.
In each of his previous three seasons at Western, Shurina has produced at least one All-Southern Conference team member, including Cory Largent in 2001 and Martin in 2002 and '03, and two SoCon All-Freshman team members, including Brempong (2001) and Martin (2002).
This season, Shurina led Western to an 62-59 win at Arkansas, which was just Western's second ever win over a Southeastern Conference team in 28 chances and the first win by a SoCon team over the SEC since the 1996-97 season, a span of 74 attempts. Two years ago, Western recorded a win at Florida State. Prior to that, the Cats' last win over an Atlantic Coast Conference team was in 1980-81 over Georgia Tech and it marked just the second win in 36 tries versus the ACC.
"Steve has also reached out to former players and coaches and made them feel a part of the tradition of our basketball program," Compher said. "His team has made a special effort to give back to this community by volunteering in the schools and other local services to help others."
Shurina, 37, is a 1988 graduate of St. John's. He played for Hall of Fame coach Lou Carnessecca at St. John's from 1984-88 and made four NCAA Tournament trips, including the 1985 Final Four. He was a two-time selection on the Big East Basketball Academic team and he received the McSwinney Award, which goes to the senior male athlete that best typifies a St. John's man. Prior to his current appointment, Shurina spent one year as an assistant at Vanderbilt (1999-2000), seven years at Davidson (1992-99) - including three years as associate head coach, and two years at Brooklyn College (1990-92).
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