Shannon Reidy Named Loyola Head Women's Basketball Coach

May 24, 2005

Chicago, Ill. -- Loyola University Chicago has named Shannon Reidy head women's basketball coach, Director of Athletics John Planek announced this afternoon. Reidy, a 1994 graduate of Lake Forest College, has served as the head coach of Marian Catholic High School for the past seven seasons, compiling a 160-54 (.748) record during her tenure. She succeeds Mary Helen Walker, who spent six seasons in Rogers Park.

"Shannon possesses all of the attributes that make me believe she will be extremely successful as the head coach at Loyola," said Planek. "First and foremost, she is a winner. She brings a proven track record of success and the winning attitude that comes with it. Her ability to get the most out of her players and develop them made her a very attractive candidate as did her extensive ties and connections within the city of Chicago. I am excited to have her join the Loyola family."

"This is a dream come true to begin my college coaching career in Chicago at Loyola University, one of the finest universities in the country," said Reidy. "The Jesuit tradition of excellence sets the standard expected for the successful student-athletes and I am excited for this challenge. There is every reason to believe that success will happen here, and now, at Loyola. I plan to surround myself with an energetic, hard-working staff which takes mutual ownership of the program and whose main focus is on enhancing the growth of our players, not only on the court, but also in the classroom and socially."

"We will immediately set our standards high and ultimately look forward to a future at Loyola where the most talented players come to compete, to win and be part of an enriching atmosphere," continued Reidy. "We are lucky to be a true Chicago university with some of the best talent in the country right in our backyard."

In her seven years at Marian Catholic, Reidy helped turn around a program which had just one 20-win season prior to her arrival into a perennial contender for the Illinois state championship, leading her team downstate three consecutive seasons from 2002-04. After recording a 21-8 mark in 2001, Reidy and her charges emerged in earnest in 2002, posting a 31-2 record and advancing to the IHSA Class AA Championship game before settling for runner-up honors. Marian made a return trip downstate the following season, finishing 29-4 before falling in the Elite Eight and finished the 2003-04 season with a 27-8 ledger, taking home the fourth-place trophy. Last season, the Spartans finished with a 28-3 record, giving the program an impressive 115-17 (.871) record over the last four seasons, and the squad has appeared in the USA Today national rankings in three different seasons.

Reidy is a three-time recipient of the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association District 8 Coach of the Year award (2002-04) and has earned the same honor from both the Daily Southtown Economist (2002, 2005) and the Illinois Times (2003). In addition, seven of her Marian Catholic players earn scholarships to Division I institutions over the past four seasons.

Reidy graduated from Lake Forest College in 1994, where she was a four-year letterwinner for the Foresters women's basketball team, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration/ Economics and special emphasis in education.

The Reidy File

Coaching Experience

1998-2005 Head Coach, Marian Catholic

Education

1994 Bachelor of Arts Degree, Business Administration/Economics, Lake Forest College

Personal

Date of Birth: April 7, 1972 (33 years old)

Hometown: Oak Lawn, Ill.