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Sharon Versyp
Current position
TitleHead coach
TeamUSC Beaufort
ConferencePeach Belt Conference
Biographical details
Born (1965-12-03) December 3, 1965 (age 58)
Mishawaka, Indiana
Playing career
1985–1987Purdue
Position(s)Point guard
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1989–1993Lawrence North HS
1993–1996Benton Central Junior-Senior HS
1996–1997Louisville (asst.)
1997–2000James Madison (asst.)
2000–2005Maine
2005–2006Indiana
2006–2021Purdue
2024-USC Beaufort
Head coaching record
Overall418–257 (.619)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
4× Big Ten tournament championship (2007, 2008, 2012, 2013)
America East tournament championship (2004)
Awards
2× America East Coach of the Year (2003, 2005)
District VII Coach of the Year (2007)
Miss Basketball (1984)

Sharon Versyp (born December 3, 1965)[1] is an American former basketball player who is the head coach of the University of South Carolina Beaufort women's basketball team and the former head coach of the Purdue University women's basketball team from 2006 to 2021. She was Indiana's High School Miss Basketball in 1984 and an All-America at Purdue.[2]

High school career

Versyp played basketball at Mishawaka High School in Mishawaka, Indiana from 1980 to 1984. As a senior, the 5' 9" point guard averaged 23.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.8 assists while leading the team to a 24–1 record. She scored 1,189 career points and led Mishawaka to a 58–9 record in her three years as a varsity player. She was named as the ninth Indiana Miss Basketball in 1984, leading the Indiana All-Star team to two victories over rival Kentucky. An outstanding volleyball player, Versyp also led her high school volleyball team to the state finals twice, including a state championship in 1983.

Collegiate playing career

As a player, Versyp was a fixture in the Purdue starting lineup beginning her freshman year and is one of only seven four-year starters in Purdue women's basketball history. She led the team in scoring three straight seasons and still ranks fourth in single game assists (12), seventh in career assists (418) and 10th in career points (1,565). Versyp still has records in the top-10 all-time in 10 statistical categories. In 1988, Versyp was named All-Big Ten and CoSIDA All-American, and won honors as the school's women's athlete of the year.[3] At Purdue, she led the team to three consecutive winning seasons at a time when the program had enjoyed only one winning campaign in the previous ten years of play.

High school coaching career

After graduating from Purdue, Versyp became the head coach at Lawrence North High School in Indianapolis from 1989 to 1993, taking a 0–18 team to a sectional runner-up finish in two seasons.[4] She also served as the head coach at Benton Central Junior-Senior High School in Oxford, Indiana from 1993 to 1996.

Collegiate coaching career

Versyp entered the collegiate ranks in 1996–97, when she joined Bud Childers' staff at the University of Louisville. After going 20–9,[4] sharing the Conference USA regular-season title and an earning NCAA berth, Childers left for James Madison University. Versyp joined him in Harrisonburg, Va., serving as his top assistant and recruiting coordinator. She was there for three seasons and in 1999 helped ink a recruiting class ranked nationally in the top 25.[4]

Maine

In 2000,[5] Versyp became the head coach at Maine for five seasons, where she amassed a 98–51 record, including 67–19 in America East Conference. Versyp's teams won three straight America East regular season championships (2003–05) and in 2004 also won the America East tournament title, earning an NCAA Tournament berth.[4] Versyp was twice voted America East Coach of the Year (2003 and 2005). Her teams achieved season records of 25–6 in 2002–03 and 25–7 in 2003–04, which were the first back-to-back 25-win campaigns in school history.[4] Under Versyp's guidance, Maine student-athletes earned America East, Rookie and Defensive Player of the year designations and garnered 15 all-conference honors in her five years with the Black Bears. Versyp coached 2003 and 2004 America East Player of the Year, Heather Ernest, who went on to play professionally overseas. While at Maine, Versyp's team ranked 13th in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association National Team Academic Honor Roll.

Indiana

Versyp took the head coaching job at Indiana University in 2005–06,[6] where she led her team to a 19–14 season, 9–7 in the Big Ten and the quarterfinals of the post-season WNIT. The nine-game improvement was the second largest turn-around in school history for a first-year head coach. While at Indiana, Versyp guided senior Cyndi Valentin to first team All-Big Ten honors and newcomer Whitney Thomas to the Big Ten All-Freshman team.[7]

Purdue

Sharon Versyp coaching on the sidelines at the Paradise Jam tournament in 2012

Versyp returned to her alma mater as Purdue's eighth head coach on April 10, 2006.[8]

In her first year as head coach at Purdue, Versyp led the Boilermakers to a 31–6 record that included a second-place finish in the Big Ten regular season, a Big Ten tournament title and an appearance in the NCAA Elite Eight. Versyp was named the 2007 WBCA Region VI Coach of the Year for her achievements with the team. The former Boilermaker point guard has led her team to two Big Ten tournament championships and two NCAA Tournament Elite Eight appearances in her three years as head coach. She has compiled a 75–32 record (.701 win percentage), has won over 73 percent of Purdue's Big Ten Conference regular-season games and has led the Boilermakers to the Big Ten tournament championship game each year, winning twice. For two years in a row, the Lady Boilermakers have earned a team GPA of 3.14, an improvement of nearly half a point from the academic year prior to Versyp becoming Purdue's head coach.[9]

On March 26, 2021; Purdue announced the 2021–2022 season will be the last year of the "Versyp Era" at Purdue, with Katie Gearlds joining the Lady Boilers staff and then succeeding Versyp as the head coach after the 2021–2022 season.[10] The Journal & Courier reported on August 18, 2021, that Purdue University was investigating allegations that Versyp created a “toxic and hostile environment,” including verbally attacking players and bullying a member of her coaching staff.[11] It was announced on September 16, 2021, that Versyp would be retiring and replaced by Gearlds a year earlier than originally planned.[12]

University of South Carolina Beaufort

On October 26, 2022, Versyp announced she would return to coaching and begin building the University of South Carolina Beaufort's new women's basketball program.[13] The Sandsharks inaugural season takes place during the 2023–24 season.[14]

Honors and awards

Versyp was inducted into the New England Basketball Hall of Fame in June 2013 for her accomplishments as head coach of the University of Maine women's basketball team, where her teams won the America East championships three consecutive years.[15][16]

Statistics

Purdue player

Source[17]

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high
Year Team GP Points FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
1984-85 Purdue 28 345 45.8% 0.0% 68.1% 2.9 3.0 1.9 0.0 12.3
1985-86 Purdue 27 395 47.0% 0.0% 82.1% 3.1 3.3 1.7 0.0 14.6
1986-87 Purdue 27 357 46.6% 0.0% 86.0% 1.9 4.3 1.7 0.0 13.2
1987-88 Purdue 31 468 46.6% 36.8% 83.3% 3.0 4.1 1.6 0.0 15.1
Career Purdue 113 1565 46.5% 36.8% 79.6% 2.7 3.7 1.7 0.0 13.8

Head coaching record

Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Maine Black Bears (America East Conference) (2000–2005)
2000–01 Maine 12-16 9-9 T-5th
2001–02 Maine 16-12 9-7 T-2nd
2002–03 Maine 25-6 16-0 1st WNIT First Round
2003–04 Maine 25-7 17-1 1st NCAA 1st Round
2004–05 Maine 20-10 16-2 1st WNIT First Round
Maine: 98-51 (.658) 67-19 (.779)
Indiana Hoosiers (Big Ten Conference) (2005–2006)
2005–06 Indiana 19-14 9-7 6th WNIT Quarterfinals
Indiana: 19-14 (.576) 9-7 (.563)
Purdue Boilermakers (Big Ten Conference) (2006–2021)
2006–07 Purdue 31-6 14-2 2nd NCAA Elite Eight
2007–08 Purdue 19-15 11-7 T-3rd NCAA 2nd Round
2008–09 Purdue 25-11 13-5 T-2nd NCAA Elite Eight
2009–10 Purdue 15-17 9-9 5th WNIT Second Round
2010–11 Purdue 21-12 9-7 7th NCAA 2nd Round
2011–12 Purdue 25-9 11-5 T-2nd NCAA 2nd Round
2012–13 Purdue 25-9 10-6 4th NCAA 2nd Round
2013–14 Purdue 22-9 11-5 T-4th NCAA 2nd Round
2014–15 Purdue 11-20 3-15 T-13th
2015–16 Purdue 20-12 10-8 6th NCAA 1st Round
2016–17 Purdue 23-13 10-6 T-4th NCAA 2nd Round
2017–18 Purdue 20-14 9-7 T-7th WNIT Third Round
2018–19 Purdue 19-15 8–10 T-10th
2019–20 Purdue 18-14 8–10 9th
2020–21 Purdue 7–16 4–14 12th
Purdue: 301–192 (.611) 141–116 (.549)
Total: 418–257 (.619)

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

References

  1. ^ "Women's Basketball". NCAA. Retrieved 16 August 2015.
  2. ^ Daily News (Bowling Green, Kentucky). "Indiana girls drop Kentucky 83-55". June 18, 1984, p. 2-B. Retrieved on June 1, 2013.
  3. ^ Wilmington Morning Star. "Names in Sports". June 15, 1988, p. 2B. Retrieved on June 1, 2013.
  4. ^ a b c d e Associated Press. "Former Maine coach trying to turn Indiana around". Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine), November 15, 2005, p. C3. Retrieved on June 1, 2013.
  5. ^ Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine). "Maine chooses new coach". May 16, 2000, p. C1. Retrieved on June 1, 2013.
  6. ^ Warner, Pete. "UM hoops coach Versyp going back to Indiana". Bangor Daily News, April 8, 2005, p. A1. Retrieved on June 1, 2013.
  7. ^ Big Ten Conference. "Ohio State's Jessica Davenport Repeats as Consensus Big Ten Player of the Year". February 28, 2006. Retrieved on June 1, 2013.
  8. ^ Bangor Daily News. "Former UM coach Versyp takes job at Purdue". April 8, 2006, p. D3. Retrieved on June 1, 2013.
  9. ^ Chicago Tribune. "Purdue awards Versyp two-year contract extension". April 14, 2010. Retrieved on June 1, 2013.
  10. ^ Carmin, Mike. "Purdue calls on Katie Gearlds to energize women's basketball program but challenges await". Journal and Courier. Retrieved 2021-06-20.
  11. ^ Carmin, Mike. "Purdue women's basketball coach Sharon Versyp accused of creating 'toxic and hostile' environment". Journal and Courier. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
  12. ^ Carmin, Mike. "Sharon Versyp to retire; Katie Gearlds takes over Purdue women's basketball program". Journal and Courier. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
  13. ^ "USCB Hires Purdue Legend Sharon Versyp to Lead Sand Shark Women's Basketball". peachbeltconference.org. Retrieved 2022-11-23.
  14. ^ "USC-Beaufort to move up to Division II, add women's and men's basketball". WSAV-TV. 2021-04-14. Retrieved 2022-11-23.
  15. ^ "6 former UMaine women going to Hall of Fame". NECN.com. June 8, 2013. Retrieved 16 September 2013.
  16. ^ "Honorees". New England Basketball Hall of Fame. Retrieved 23 June 2013.
  17. ^ "Purdue Media Guide" (PDF). Retrieved 2017-09-05.
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