Sheehan

This is one in a series of articles on Slippery Rock University graduates who have moved on to athletic careers elsewhere.

Bridget Sheehan followed her brother and sister to Slippery Rock University, but she made a name for herself at Allegheny College.

Sheehan, a 1977 graduate with a degree in economics, has flourished in leading the Gators volleyball program to more than 500 victories over the past 20 seasons. She also is the college's all-time winningest coach.

"I want my teams to be successful every year," said Sheehan. "I'm in coaching because I love the competition. To get a team prepared year after year is a challenge."

Sheehan, who grew up in Meadville, was a four-year starter on the SRU volleyball team, including being named team captain as a senior.

After graduation, Sheehan accepted a position in her field with a company in Cochranton and was able to coach junior high basketball at Cochranton, as well as to serve as an assistant volleyball coach at Maplewood.

She soon became the head volleyball coach at Cochranton for one year before landing the job at Allegheny College.

"They sought me out to apply for the position," said Sheehan, who earned her master's degree in sports administration from SRUin 1990.

"I didn't know if I wanted to look at coaching in college, but I was happy to take the next step," she added.

Sheehan had taken a coaching certification course at Slippery Rock and knew she wanted to make it a career. She didn't know where she wanted to be or, for that matter, how long.

"I thought I'd be at Allegheny for five years, then take the next step up," said Sheehan. "I'd get interviews for Division I. I'd be an assistant, then become a head coach. I did get an offer but decided not to take it."

Fortunately for Allegheny, things couldn't have turned out better.

The Gators have made the playoffs in 17 of the 20 seasons with Sheehan at the helm, just missing the postseason the past two years.

A six-game losing streak in the middle of the season slowed the squad, but it finished the campaign on a six-game winning streak to post a 19-13 record.

One member of the team was Slippery Rock High graduate Megan Finch, a senior outside hitter for the Gators, who led the team in kills and was a North Coast Athletic Conference honorable mention selection.

All told, Sheehan is a two-time NCAC Coach of the Year and qualified for the NCAA Division III tournament four times. Her teams have been ranked in the top 20 nationally four times and claimed four NCACchampionships.

In her second year of coaching at Allegheny, which included her first recruiting class, the Gators went 42-5 and made their first NCAA appearance. The following year, the squad went 44-9 and again qualified for the national tournament.

While the past two seasons did not include a playoff game (the 2004 team went 16-16), Sheehan still has continued to keep Allegheny College volleyball in the limelight.

"We have a young team, but I don't like to say we're re-building," said Sheehan. "We like to do the best with what's in front of us."