Steve Hancock returns for his third season in his second stint as head coach of the Franklin Pierce University women's basketball program in 2011-12. Hancock's first two seasons in his reprisal of the program's leader has proven to be one of the most magical eras in any sport in Franklin Pierce University history.

The 2009-10 Ravens 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 their 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 Feb. 20 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 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. Junior center Jewel 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 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. 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.

Following Swasey's departure, Hancock resumed control of the women's basketball program at Franklin Pierce after a 13-year break from that capacity. He led the Ravens to a 135-92 (.590) record over eight seasons from 1988-96, which i ncluded three NCAA Tournament berths and two New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) Championships. The program's all-time leader in wins, 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 ten 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, Maryjustine. Chris played college baseball at Haverford College in Pennsylvania, while his daughter is a member of the softball team at Assumption College.

Steve Hancock by the numbers...

Head Coach at Franklin Pierce

                                               Overall       Conference

Assistant Coach at Franklin Pierce

                                                Overall           NE-10