June 27, 2003

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Maryland head women's basketball coach Brenda Frese announced the hiring of Joanna Bernabei as the new women's basketball assistant coach for the program. Bernabei comes to College Park from West Virginia to replace Marsha Frese, who departed for Illinois for an assistant coaching position in her native Midwest region.

"Joanna is one of the bright, up-and-coming, young coaches in women's basketball. Her enthusiasm and work ethic are what set her apart and made her a perfect addition for our staff," commented Frese. "She will add youthful excitement and determination, necessary qualities in today's highly competitive recruiting battles. Our entire staff looks forward to having Joanna become part of the Maryland women's basketball family."

Bernabei served two years at West Virginia as an assistant coach for the Mountaineer women's basketball team. Before her time as a Mountaineer, Bernabei took a two-year tenure at Eastern Kentucky and has head coaching experience from the 1998 season at West Virginia Wesleyan. Bernabei compiled an 18-9 record and a third place finish in the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC) that year and served as the school's senior women's administrator at the time.

"I'm really excited about the opportunity to coach with this staff and be a part of this program," said Bernabei. "The vision of this staff is to stop at nothing short of a national championship and that's the kind of program I want to be a part of. Maryland is a wonderful place and I am excited to take part in its bright future."

Bernabei attended West Liberty State where she was a three-time Division II All-American and a four-time first-team all-WVIAC selection as a point guard. Named the 1997 WVIAC player of the year, she currently holds the NCAA Division II all-time career assists record of 1,107 and the record for most assists in a single game at 24 against West Virginia State (Feb. 8, 1997). She is just one of a handful of players to record more than 1,000 points and 1,000 assists in a career. She finished her stellar career with 1,317 total points.

She also holds the NCAA record for assists average per game (9.5) and the school and conference records for assists in a game, season (294) and career (1,107). She led her team to an 80-36 record during her career and is listed on West Liberty's Top 20 all-time best athlete list. She is the first woman to be named first-team all-West Virginia Athletic Conference for four years and was West Virginia's 1993 high school player of the year.

She earned her bachelor's degree in exercise physiology in 1997 from West Liberty and her master's degree from Eastern Kentucky in physical education in 1999.