Following a national search, Stevens athletic director Russell Rogers announced the promotion of Bobby Hurley to head men's basketball coach on Tuesday afternoon.
Hurley, a graduate of RPI who has worked on the Ducks' staff for the past five seasons, served as the associate head coach under Josh Loeffler this past year. Hurley's promotion came approximately five weeks after it was announced Loeffler accepted a job as an assistant coach at Division I Lafayette.
"We were fortunate to have an outstanding pool of candidates," Rogers said. "Bobby clearly distinguished himself as our top choice. He has played a very important role in the recent success of our men's basketball program. Bobby is truly committed to Stevens and our student-athletes, and I am confident that under his leadership our program will continue the momentum that has been built in recent years."
Hired in August 2003, Hurley spent his first three seasons working as an assistant under former coach Steve Hayn. Hurley remained as an assistant following the hiring of Loeffler in 2006 then was promoted to associate head coach last summer.
"I am excited to be able to continue working with this program," Hurley said. "I truly believe that we are moving in the right direction and hope to build toward an Empire 8 championship. I am thrilled to be surrounded by so many quality student-athletes at Stevens. I appreciate the support and trust that Russ Rogers and the rest of the administration have shown in me. It truly is a joy to be working within this department."
In five years with the program, Hurley has helped the Ducks amass an overall record of 81-57, which translates into a .587 winning percentage. The numbers are far more impressive the last two seasons: 46-13 (.780).
In 2006-07, Hurley was instrumental in helping lead the Ducks to their finest season in program history. Along the way, Stevens set a new school record for wins in a season with a 23-7 mark. The Ducks also made their first-ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament and advanced to the Sweet 16 following victories over Worcester Polytechnic Institute and Ramapo. Stevens ended the year ranked first in the NCAA Atlantic Region and No. 24 in the D3hoops.com national poll.
This past season in 2007-08, Hurley was on the bench once again as the Ducks tied the school record for wins with a 23-6 mark and shared the Empire 8 regular-season title with Ithaca College in just their first year in the conference. Stevens also went on to win its first-ever Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference Metro Championship and was ranked fifth in the NCAA Atlantic Region.
A 2001 graduate of RPI with a B.S. in management and technology, Hurley was a four-year starter for the Red Hawks and selected as an Academic All-American in 2001. An All-Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association honorable mention selection as both a junior and senior, Hurley appeared in a school-record 107 games and made 85 starts. He was also selected to the UCAA all-tournament team as a senior.
Furthermore, Hurley was named team captain and most valuable player his last two seasons with the Red Hawks. He finished his career at Rensselaer with 767 points, 316 assists, and 155 steals. Hurley led the team in assists and steals three times. He was also the Red Hawks' leading scorer as a senior captain.