Steve Hancock enters his first season in his second stint as assistant coach of the Franklin Pierce women’s basketball program in 2012-13. Coach Hancock has been a valuable member of the program, including serving two stints as head coach (1988-96 & 2009-12) and filling the role as assistant coach from 2006-09.

Hancock has been a part of the most memorable moments in program history. He compiled a career record of 211-114 over his 11 seasons as head coach and is the program’s all-time wins leader. During those 11 campaigns, he led Franklin Pierce to six NCAA Tournament appearances and three conference championships. He retired from his head coaching duties at the end of the 2011-12 season, but remained on as assistant coach to work with new head boss Jennifer Leedham.

IN HIS SECOND STINT AS HEAD COACH OF THE RAVENS

Hancock returned to the head coaching chair prior to the 2009-10 season. That season saw the Ravens produce one of the most exciting campaigns of any sport in school history. The 2009-10 squad produced a 32-2 overall record, a second-consecutive Northeast-10 Championship, a third-straight NCAA East Regional Championship and a trip to the NCAA Division II Final Four. Along the way, Franklin Pierce began the season with 23-straight wins and earned the program's first-ever No. 1 national ranking when the WBCA placed it atop the poll in early January.

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

A trio of Ravens earned post-season accolades, including Johannah Leedham, who capped her brilliant career by winning three national player-of-the-year awards from WBCA/State Farm, Daktronics and Women's Division II Bulletin. She also was named the Northeast-10 Player of the Year for the third-straight year. Sophomore center Jewel White came on strong late in the season and her play enabled her to be named to the Northeast-10 and NCAA East Regional All-Tournament Teams. Junior guard Cynthia Gaudet proved to be one of the top scorers in the league and was named to the all-conference third-team.

With all that team and individual success, Hancock was named the Northeast-10 Coach of the Year for his superb guidance of the program.

The 2010-11 season looked to be an interesting one as the Ravens sought to make up for the graduation of Leedham. Franklin Pierce was expecting to rely on its two senior leaders in Cynthia Gaudet and Tori Ahrens, but both players were lost to injury for the entire season prior to the opening tip of the campaign.

The setbacks, though, did not serve as an excuse as Hancock helped guide the Ravens to a 24-8 record, a trip to the Northeast-10 Championship game and the program's fourth-consecutive trip to the NCAA Division II Tournament. White had a remarkable season as she was named the NE-10 and Daktronics East Region Player of the Year, while also garnering First-Team All-America honors from the organization. Junior forward Marielle Giroud was a stopper on the defensive end, and thus was named the league's defensive player of the year.

Following the season, Franklin Pierce earned more success as a team, this time coming off the court as they were placed in the WBCA's Academic Top-25 Poll for earning a team GPA of 3.524. The Ravens were the only team from the NE-10 to make the impressive list.

Hancock’s final season of 2011-12 was a strong one as well. He led the Ravens to a 20-10 record and the program’s fifth-consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament. White was named to the All-NE-10 First-Team and earned three more All-America honors. Giroud was named the league’s defensive player of the year for the second time in as many seasons.

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

Before Hancock resumed the head coaching duties in 2009, he served the previous three years as former coach Mark Swasey's assistant in which the Ravens posted a record of 73-23 (.760), capturing back-to-back NCAA Division II Regional titles and winning both the Northeast-10 Conference regular season and tournament championships in 2009. Franklin Pierce set a then-program record with 29 wins en route to making its first ever appearance in the national championship game in 2009.

A TERRIFIC FIRST STINT IN RINDGE

Following Swasey's departure, Hancock resumed control of the women's basketball program at Franklin Pierce after a 13-year break from that capacity. In his first stint as head coach, he led the Ravens to a 135-92 (.590) record over eight seasons from 1988-96, which included three NCAA Tournament 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 a 63-19 (.768) mark in NECC play. The Ravens set a then-school record for wins during a 24-7 campaign in 1991-92 (which stood until the 2007-08 season), claiming the first NECC Championship and NCAA Tournament berth in program history. He left the program following the 1995-96 season to accept an increased role as administrator in the Gardner (Mass.) School system.

Hancock has an incredible eye for talent as his programs in the late-1980's and 1990's produced 10 All-NECC performers, including 1990-91 NECC Rookie of the Year Dina Sawicki, 1992-93 NECC Rookie of the Year Cassie Beckwith and 1993-94 NECC Player of the Year Kelly Jewett, five ECAC All-Stars and five Franklin Pierce Athletics Hall of Fame inductees.

Hancock, who retired in 2006 after 35 years as a teacher and administrator in the Gardner school system, currently resides in Gardner with his wife, Rosemary. The couple 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