CHESTNUT HILL – Joanna Bernabei McNamee continues to ascend the collegiate coaching ladder.

McNamee was named head women’s basketball coach at Boston College on April 10. The Beantown appointment comes on the heels of her impressive two-year stint at the University of Albany.

“It was a very humbling experience to be offered such a prestigious position the way my career path has went…taking time off to raise my sons. It happened so quickly,” McNamee said. “And while Boston College is a tremendous opportunity it did create some sadness. I loved Albany and the administration there was great. It became a second home for me and my family.

“But Boston College was an offer I just couldn’t pass up,” she added. “We realize we have a lot of work to do but I am excited about the challenge.”

The Weirton Madonna legend replaces Erik Johnson. He resigned after six seasons at BC, posting an overall record of 68-115, including a 19-77 mark in ACC play.

McNamee led Albany to a 45-19 record during her two years as head coach. In 2016-17, she guided the Great Danes to the American East tournament championship and a spot in the NCAA tourney. Last year, Albany finished 24-8 overall and participated in the WNIT.

Rebuilding a bottom-feeder in a loaded conference will be no easy task. McNamee, however, has her plan ready to initiate.

“It may sound cliche but our short-term goal is to build our culture. We are going to be a hard-working and blue-collar team,” McNamee offered. “We will create a family atmosphere where we have each other’s backs.

“Our players will come to realize that you get out what you put in. We will do all the little things needed to be a good team,” she continued. “We will be the hardest-working team in the ACC.”

McNamee inherits an Eagles’ roster that is young to say the least, void of any seniors. She has three returning juniors and two sophomores to go with seven incoming freshmen.

“Our staff is still in the process of learning about them. We will start our summer workouts soon,” McNamee said. “But even then the coaches only get them four hours a week on the court while four more hours are allowed in the weight room. But it will give our players quality time to bond.”

McNamee believes Boston College provides an ideal venue in which to land blue-chip talent. She has already landed one recruit for the 2019 class.

“We have already one commitment and are close to another. At BC we can not only recruit nationally but also internationally,” McNamee said.

“Boston College has so much to offer. Boston is a great city and the campus is beautiful.

“BC is world renown for its academics. So getting a degree from here has impact,” she said.

“This college sells itself. There is no ceiling on the type of athletes we can recruit here.”

In addition to directing Albany to consecutive 20-plus win seasons, McNamee was named the 2017 Women’s Division I Coach of the Year by the Basketball Coaches Association of New York.

McNamee landed at Albany in April of 2016 after three productive seasons as the head coach of the University of Pikeville (Ky.).

McNamee recorded 63 wins and led the program to back-to-back national tournament berths, including a program-record 26 victories and an NAIA Final Four appearance in 2016.

That season, she was named the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association NAIA Regional Coach of the Year. McNamee also earned Mid-South Conference Coach of the Year honors in 2015.

Prior to Pikeville, she was an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Maryland from 2003-07, playing a key role the Terrapins’ 2006 national championship season. Maryland beat Duke 78-75 in the title game. During her Terp tenure, she brought in four straight nationally ranked recruiting classes, including three in the Top 10.

McNamee was an assistant at WVU for two years after a two-year stint at Eastern Kentucky. The Weirton native began her head coaching career in 1998 at West Virginia Wesleyan where she compiled an 18-9 record and a third-place finish in the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

After her sparkling prep career in which she led Madonna to the state hoop championship, McNamee opted to stay close to home and play at West Liberty. Her Hilltopper career was nothing short of sensational.

She was chosen the 1997 WVIAC Player of the Year and still holds the NCAA Division II career assists record (1,107) and assists in a game (24). She is one of only four players in NCAA history to record more than 1,000 points and 1,000 assists, finishing her stellar career with 1,317 total points.

McNamee led WLU to a sparkling 80-36 record. She is listed on West Liberty’s Top 20 all-time Best Athletes list and was the first woman to be named first-team All-West Virginia Athletic Conference for four years.

McNamee was inducted into the West Liberty State Athletic Hall of Fame in 2002 and the Ohio Valley Athletic Conference Hall of Fame in 2011.

Joanna and her husband, Joe McNamee, have two sons, Luke and Caden.

BUBBA’S BITS

OLENTANGY LIBERTY made the Ohio D-I state baseball tournament this weekend. Liberty’s athletic director is former Buckeye South athletic standout Darin Meeker.

THE 23RD Annual BMAC Mountaineer Golf Classic is set for Thursday, July 19 at Moundsville Country Club with a 10 a.m. shotgun start. All proceeds fund the BMAC Upper Ohio Valley Endowed Athletic Scholarship. Those interested in taking part should call John S. Marshall at 740-695-4262 or John Budinscak at 740-695-2944.

FORMER SKYVUE High great Mitch Hannahs led his Indiana State baseball team to a 31-24 record this season. The Sycamores’ campaign ended last week in an elimination game against top-seed and No. 24-ranked Missouri State, 9-6, in the Missouri Valley Conference Championships.

THE BELLAIRE Volunteer Fire Department is staging its inaugural “River Rat Race” 5K Walk/Run on Saturday, Aug. 11. The walk/run starts at 8 a.m. with race-day registration beginning at 6:30 a.m. Proceeds will be evenly divided between the Bellaire VFD and the Pittsburgh Fisher House, where families stay while veterans receive VA Hospital treatment. For race information, call Ray Penyak at 401-330-6738.

GARY CHUMNEY has stepped down as Buckeye Trail’s head boys’ basketball coach. He led the Warriors to the OVAC 3A championship game in 2017.

PLAY BALL: Wheeling Legion Post 1 launches its season today, hosting Morgantown in a 3 p.m. start at the I-470 J.B. Chambers Complex. Jon-Michael Brunner takes over as Post 1 skipper, replacing highly successful Mark Delbrugge. That game will be preceded by the Post 1 junior varsity playing the Morgantown JV squad at noon. Post 1 has won the last three state titles.

NBA FINALS: Cleveland let a golden opportunity to steal game one slip away Thursday. The Cavaliers got robbed on having a charge call on Kevin Durant reversed. The Cavs could have overcome that bogus ruling if J.R. Smith wasn’t clueless. But let’s not forget George Hill, an 80 percent free throw shooter, missed the possible game-winning foul shot, enabling Smith to go brain-dead.

KUDOS TO Bellaire High’s Cole LaRoche. The Big Reds’ junior captured the Division II state shot put title Friday. State championships in Ohio don’t come down the pike too often for OVAC athletes. LaRoche, however, was deserving of standing on the podium’s top rung as he devoted a massive amount of time to his craft to go with his impressive talent.