Bobby McGraw

SLIPPERY ROCK — Bobby McGraw is Slippery Rock University’s new head women’s basketball coach — for real.

The 1990 Mars graduate served as The Rock’s acting head coach this past season, leading the team to an 11-16 record and first PSAC Tournament appearance in nine years. The 11 wins were the most posted by the program since the 2005-06 campaign.

There were more than 100 applicants for the open position this off-season and McGraw was selected over two other finalists with ample head coaching experience.

“I can’t say enough how I appreciate the confidence President (Cheryl) Norton and athletic director) Paul Lueken are showing in me,” McGraw said. “We’re planning on taking SRU women’s basketball into a new era.

“The goal of making the conference tournament is in the past. That’s been done. Our target for next year is winning the conference championship and reaching the national tournament. Our talent level is capable of those accomplishments.”

SRU athletic director Paul Lueken admitted McGraw got the job over a pair of two veteran head coaches.

“We took a long time to decide this because we wanted to get it right,” Lueken said. “In the end, we just felt Bobby was the right fit for our program moving forward.”

Seton-LaSalle senior forward Morgan Henderson — who won a state championship with the Rebels — was an early recruit of McGraw’s last year. Two Division I transfers and a junior college transfer “who can dunk a basketball” have verbally committed to The Rock.

“Those three were contingent on my getting the job,” McGraw said. “I expect they’ll be signing in the next week or so.”

“He gave everything he had to this program for as long as he was gonna have it,” Lueken said of McGraw. “His commitment that way, his passion ... That’s why he’s in the position he’s in right now.”

The 6-foot-2 Henderson was also recruited by Division I schools Buffalo, Kent State and Richmond, among others, before deciding on SRU.

“I love the family atmosphere up there and the coach is really motivated to win,” Henderson said. “He’s so passionate and when he told me where he wanted that program to go, I wanted to be a part of it.

“He expects me to make a major impact right away ... he told me as much ... and while that does put a little pressure on me, it makes me want to work that much harder to fulfill those expectations.”

McGraw’s top assistant from last season, former Indiana (Pa.) assistant Ryenn Micaletti, is one of 109 applicants for her job moving forward.

McGraw is confident Micaletti will be back.

“There is not another assistant coach in the country I’d rather have,” he said. “I can never repay Ryenn for taking the chance she did to join me here.

“When I turned down the IUP top assistant coaching job to take over at The Rock, Ryenn was offered that same position. She turned down that opportunity to become my assistant because she believed in me and where we wanted to take this thing.”

McGraw played two seasons at Butler County Community College and was a member of the Pioneers’ 1991 WPCC and state championship team.

He was an assistant men’s basketball coach at La Roche for two seasons before serving as an assistant coach for The Rock men’s team in 2012-13.

He was the assistant coach under Tanya Longo with the SRU women’s squad in 2013-14 before being hired as acting head coach. SRU won 16 games total in Longo’s final three years at the helm.

“Bobby’s excited to be here and we’re excited to have him here,” Lueken said. “We’ve made major strides in the past year. We still have a long way to go, but I like the direction we’re headed in.”