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Stan Swank, Head Coach
Now in his 20th season, Stan Swank has brought
a winning tradition to Edinboro University. The winningest coach
in Fighting Scot women's basketball history, Swank has had 15
winning seasons during his 19-year tenure while compiling a
328-205 overall mark. He currently ranks 30th in Division II among
active coaches in wins with 328. Swank and West Chester coach
Deirdre Kane have been at their respective PSAC schools longer
than any other coaches in the conference.
Edinboro women's basketball has enjoyed eight
20-win seasons, with Swank directing the Fighting Scots to six of
those. All told, six of his Fighting Scot editions have reached
the NCAA Division II playoffs, with Edinboro reaching the PSAC
postseason tournament thirteen times. On seven of those occasions
the Fighting Scots have advanced to the championship game, winning
the PSAC title in 1989-90. In the NCAA Division II Tournament, he
has guided Edinboro to the Final 32 twice, the Sweet 16 and the
Elite Eight.
The 2005-06 Edinboro edition added to Swank’s
legacy. The Fighting Scots advanced to the PSAC Championship game
for the first time since the 1997-98 season, winning playoff
contests over Indiana(Pa.) and Kutztown. Edinboro met
California(Pa.) in the title game, and battled the defending
champions down to the wire before the Vulcans hit four free throws
in the final seven seconds for a 63-59 win. It was Edinboro’s
ninth appearance in the PSAC Playoffs in the last eleven years.
Edinboro advanced to the NCAA Playoffs for the
first time since that 1997-98 campaign. Charleston(WV) handed the
Fighting Scots a 71-62 defeat, ending the Boro’s season at
21-10. The 21 wins represented the most since 23 wins in 1997-98.
Two years ago Swank's Fighting Scots posted
their second straight 18-10 ledger, finishing fourth in the PSAC
West. Edinboro jumped out to a 14-2 record, capped by an
eight-game winning streak. The year before Edinboro surprised the
rest of the PSAC by going 18-10 to finish third in the PSAC West.
Three of the losses came to national champion California(Pa.),
along with setbacks to nationally-ranked West Texas A&M and
Emporia State.
After enduring just his fourth losing season in
2001-02 with a 12-14 record, Swank guided his 2002-03 edition to a
16-12 record. Picked to finish fifth in the preseason coaches
poll, the Fighting Scots tied for third to return to postseason
action.
In 2000-01, Swank led a young outfit which had
to replace Jessica Rowe and Marin Hightower to a surprising 17-10
finish. The veteran coach employed a variety of tactics to take
advantage of his entire roster, including inserting his entire
second team enmasse for the starters. The Scots qualified for the
PSAC Tournament. Despite a losing record in 1999-2000 (13-14), the
Fighting Scots reached the PSAC Tournament.
Swank came to Edinboro in 1987 after an
outstanding career as head coach at Parkland (IL) Junior College,
where he recorded an impressive 104-20 overall mark.
His first Edinboro squad finished 14-11
overall, barely missing the PSAC playoffs. Building off the
previous year's success, the 1988-89 team captured the PSAC
Western Division crown, compiling a 21-6 overall record. Swank was
chosen PSAC West Coach of the Year as the program won 20 games for
the first time in nearly a decade.
The Scots repeated as PSAC West champions in
1989-90 and won the PSAC tournament for the first time ever.
Edinboro also advanced to the NCAA Division II national
tournament, winning its first NCAA playoff game in history to
advance to the Sweet 16. The team finished with a school-record 27
wins, and Swank was named PSAC West Coach of the Year for the
second straight season.
Swank's 1991-92 team finished 22-8 overall and
was the PSAC runner-up. The Scots also made another appearance in
the NCAA national tournament. The Fighting Scots again finished
second in the PSAC in '92-93 and appeared in the national
tournament for the third time in four years. After a two-year
hiatus, Swank's 1995-96 team returned to the postseason, as the
Scots finished 15-13 overall. Edinboro beat PSAC East tri-champion
Kutztown in the opening round of the PSAC tournament.
Edinboro was the PSAC West co-champion and the
PSAC tournament runner-up in 1996-97, with Swank once again
earning Coach of the Year honors. The Scots then posted three
victories in the NCAA tournament to win the East Regional title
and earn a berth in the NCAA Elite Eight. Edinboro finished the
year 24-9, the second highest win total in school history.
The '97-98 Fighting Scot squad also made a run
in the NCAA Playoffs after finishing as the runnerup in the PSAC
Tournament. Edinboro defeated the University of Charleston before
suffering an 88-78 loss to PSAC-rival Shippensburg in the NCAA's.
The Fighting Scots jumped out to a 9-0 start in
1998-99 and were ranked 16th in the USA Today WBCA Division II
poll. Ravaged by injuries, Edinboro dropped 10 of its next 17
contests, finishing the year 16-10 and missing the PSAC playoffs.
During his tenure Swank has had 39 All-PSAC
performers, two PSAC West Rookie of the Year recipients, and seven
Kodak All-Americans. He has received numerous honors, being named
the PSAC West Coach of the Year four times and Edinboro
University's Coach of the Year twice.
Swank earned a bachelor's degree in Physical
Education at Purdue University in 1976. He completed work on his
master's degree in Educational Administration at Purdue in 1979.
He embarked on his head coaching career at Fisher High School in
Illinois, where his boys team compiled a 39-14 record in two
seasons. In 1983, he moved on to Parkland Junior College, where
his Cobra team won four consecutive sectional championships and
finished second twice, and third once, in the NJCAA Region 24.
Swank, his wife Gail have two sons, Stan II,
23, and Benjamin, 19, and reside in Edinboro. Benjamin is a
freshman on the football team at the Naval Academy Preparatory
School.
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