In 10 seasons as Head Coach, Bryan Whitten guided the Mount St. Mary’s women’s basketball program back to its place among the best in the Northeast Conference. Following another playoff appearance in 2016-17, Whitten’s Mountaineers have now reached the NEC postseason in six consecutive seasons.
In 2015-2016, Whitten collected his 100th career victory at the Mount with a win over Central Connecticut in Emmitsurg. Whitten became just the third coach in program history to reach the 100-win plateau, joining Bill Sheahan (372 wins) and Vanessa Blair (120).
Whitten also guided the Mount to a milestone victory in 2015-16 as the Mountaineers defeated Fairleigh Dickinson on February 15 for the program's 700th all-time victory, as the Mount became the first NEC women's basketball program to reach 700 wins.
During the 2013-14 campaign, Whitten and the Mount enjoyed a breakout campaign that included 19 wins, the program’s first winning season since 2000-01 and a first-ever trip to the WNIT.
During the 2013-14 season, Whitten picked up his 300th career coaching victory in a home win over Central Connecticut State on Feb. 3. Finishing with a 13-5 conference record during the regular season, the Mount finished second in the conference standings, earning the right to host a playoff game for the first time since 2002. The Mount also qualified for the NEC Semifinals in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2001.
The Mount compiled a 15-16 record in 2012-13 and returned to the NEC Semifinals for the first time since 2001. The squad’s 15 wins were the most for a Mount team in a season since the 2000-01 campaign, until the team exceeded the total with 19 wins in 2013-14.
In 2011-12, Whitten guided the Mount to the Northeast Conference Tournament after posting a 14-16 overall mark and a 10-8 record in the league. The squad improved its win total by six games and notched a winning mark in league play for the first time since the 2006-07 campaign.
At the Mount, Whitten has coached five 1,000-point scorers, one First Team All-NEC, two Second Team All-NEC and one Third Team All-NEC selections, an All-NEC Rookie team selection and one NEC All-Tournament Team selection.
Whitten's first season at Mount St. Mary's was highlighted by picking up his first Mount win with a 55-51 decision against Lafayette on Nov. 17, 2007 and guiding the Mount to its 600th win in program history with a 56-43 victory against Fordham on Dec. 29, 2007. In 2008-09, the Mountaineers made a six-game improvement from Whitten's first season and posted the most wins (14) since the 2000-01 season.
Whitten, the fifth head coach in Mount St. Mary’s history, came to Emmitsburg after serving as a women’s basketball assistant coach at Virginia Commonwealth University during the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons. In his two-year tenure at VCU, Whitten coached the 2005-06 Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Rookie of the Year and helped the Rams to a 30-28 record, including a 17-13 mark while the team advanced to the CAA quarterfinals in 2006-07.
Prior to his time in Richmond, Va., Whitten was the head women’s basketball coach at King’s College, a Division III program in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. He spent 12 seasons at the helm of the Lady Monarchs, amassing a 220-103 record and guided the team 10 winning seasons in a row, 11-consecutive Middle Atlantic/Freedom Conference (MAC) Tournament berths, two MAC Freedom Conference titles and four trips to the NCAA Division III national tournament from 2000-03.
Whitten, a 1991 graduate at King’s College, coached one Columbus Multi-Media Division III National Player of the Year, three finalists for the Josten’s Trophy “National Player of the Year” Award, 23 all-conference players, five Most Valuable Players, 14 Division III All-Americans and 15 ECAC All-Stars. Also, Whitten coached Heather Medashefski, a 1999 graduate of King’s, who played professionally in Portugal. Whitten was named the MAC Freedom Coach of the Year in 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001 and 2002.
In additions to his team’s exploits on the court, Whitten’s players excelled off the court as well. He had 44 players named to the MAC Freedom All-Academic Team and five times his team ranked in the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association Academic Top-25.
After starting the first two years 15-34, Whitten led his alma mater to a 205-69 record in his final 10 seasons. In 1995-96, his team went 14-11 and followed that season up with a 17-10 mark before the Lady Monarchs produced the first 20-win season under Whitten with a 23-5 record and the squad won the ECAC South Championship, the first postseason title in program history.
After an 18-9 year and its third-straight ECAC Tournament appearance in 1998-99, Whitten led King’s to four-straight NCAA Division III Tournament appearances. The Lady Monarchs went 24-6 in 1990-00 and advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 before falling to Scranton, who played in the national semifinals. The team then won its first-ever MAC Freedom League title before losing to the eventual national runner up Messiah in the NCAA Second Round with a 19-7 record in 2000-01.
Whitten then had his best season in Wilkes-Barre in 2001-02 when his Lady Monarchs posted a school-record 25-4 mark and advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight, before falling Marymount. In the next season, King’s won its second MAC Freedom crown and advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16, losing to the eventual national runner-up Eastern Connecticut.
In 2003-04, King’s advanced to the MAC Freedom Conference Tournament championship game with a 19-9 record before going 22-4 in Whitten’s final campaign with the Lady Monarchs.
A native of Hockessin, Del., Whitten started his coaching career as an assistant coach with the women’s basketball team at King’s from 1989-92. Whitten then returned to Delaware for one season to serve as an assistant coach at St. Mark’s High School and co-head coach of the Delaware Patriot AAU Girl’s 14-Under squad, which finished among the top six schools in the Atlantic Region.
Whitten and his wife Angie live in Frederick, Md., with their sons, Jamie and Brayden.
THE WHITTEN FILE
SEASON RECORD NOTE
1993-94* 3‐21
1994-95* 12‐13
1995-96* 14‐11
1996-97* 17‐10
1997-98* 23‐5 ECAC South Champion
1998-99* 18‐9 MAC Semifinals
1999-00* 24‐6 NCAA Sweet 16
2000-01* 19‐7 NCAA Second Round
2001-02* 25‐4 NCAA Elite Eight
2002-03* 24‐4 NCAA Sweet 16
2003-04* 19‐9 Freedom Champions
2004-05* 22‐4 Freedom Semifinals
12 SEASONS* 220‐103
*At King’s College (Division III)
SEASON RECORD NEC NOTE
2007-08^ 8-22 6-12 NEC Quarterfinals
2008-09^ 14-16 8-10 NEC Quarterfinals
2009-10^ 10-18 6-12
2010-11^ 8-21 5-13
2011-12^ 14-16 10-8 NEC Quarterfinals
2012-13^ 15-16 10-8 NEC Semifinals
2013-14^ 19-14 13-5 NEC Semifinals, WNIT
2014-15^ 8-22 6-12 NEC Quarterfinals
2015-16^ 9-21 7-11 NEC Quarterfinals
2016-17^ 12-18 10-8 NEC Quarterfinals
10 SEASONS^ 117-184 81-99
^At Mount St. Mary’s
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Overall 337-287
