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All time wins leader steps down as coach

The Seton Hall Athletic's Department announced that women's basketball head coach Phylis Mangina has stepped down from her position.

The move was announced on Monday night.

In her time at the Hall, Mangina compiled a record of 351-368, which is the most wins in school history for a coach of the women's basketball team.

"I will forever cherish my time as the women's basketball coach at Seton Hall," Mangina said, according to shupirates.com.

Athletic Director Joe Quinlan made the announcement on Monday that Mangina would be stepping down from her position.

"It was a shocker to all the team," sophomore forward Kandice Green said. "Right now we are just trying to pull together as a family."

The news comes after the team finished the season with a 9-21 overall record and a 1-15 record in Big East games and the third consecutive year the Pirates finished in the bottom three of the Big East Standings going a combined 8-40 during those years.

Despite the lack of success in recent seasons, Mangina was still regarded highly by her players.

"She never let up," Green said. "She would be on me the whole time, but I like that and she cared a lot about the team."

Mangina took over the head coaching position at the Hall in September 1985, after being with the program as a player from 1977-1981 and an assistant from 1982-1985.

Taking over at the start of the 1985-86 season, she finished with a record of 5-23 and 2-14 in Big East play.

"Coach Mangina's contributions to the Seton Hall women's basketball program and the entire university community have been substantial and longstanding," Quinlan said.

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In her fifth year as coach, Mangina won the award for Big East Coach of the Year, finishing the season with a record of 21-7 and 11-5 in conference, her second winning season in the Big East.

Mangina continued to move the team forward to the NCAA women's tournament in 1994 where the Pirates made their first ever trip to the tournament and also the first ever national ranking. The team finished the 1994 season at 27-5 and advance to the "Sweet 16."

The following year the team started the season ranked No. 22, another first in the program under Mangina. The team returned to the tournament, only to lose in the second round, after her best record in the Big East at 16-2 earned her the second Big East coach of the year award.

Mangina made history again in 1996, when the team won their first share of the Big East regular season title finishing in conference at 9-9 tied with seven other teams.

Two years later she would become the all time leader in wins for the program.

Even though her time as coach at the university has come to an end, the athletic department is looking for a way to keep her involved, according to Quinlan.

Stephen Valenti can be reached at stephen.valenti@student.shu.edu.


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