State College Area High School
2007-08 Lady Little Lion Basketball
Coaching Staff

Coach
Bethany Irwin 		Assistant Coach
Rob Irwin 		JV Coach
Brenna O'Connor

Beginning her 15th year as the head coach of State College's successful girls' basketball program, Bethany Collins Irwin is known statewide for her outstanding teams.

Having won three District 6 Titles and twice advanced to the PIAA semifinal, Irwin's teams have qualified for the PIAA State Championship nine times.

Lady Little Lion squads continue to surprise and delight fans of the women's game. Last season, her unranked Lady Little Lions shocked then fifth ranked Harrisburg in Harrisburg. In 2003, her players stunned Mercyhurst Prep in Erie, defeating a team that would eventually win the AAAA (large school) State Championship with a 29-1 record and rank 23rd nationally, according to USA Today.

Irwin has guided her Lady Little Lion teams through 365 games winning 247 of them. She begins this season with a 247-118 record at State and a career mark of 281-147.

Irwin's scholastic coaching career began right after she graduated from Penn State in 1989. After a three-year stint at Bellefonte High School, she took over at State College in 1993 winning 11 games that first year then posting an 81-41 record over the next five seasons.

Her 1999 State College team won 20 games and her next three Lion squads were 78-9 with back-to-back appearances in the PIAA Western final.

In addition to team recognition, Irwin's players are making their mark at the college level. Lady Little Lion all-time scorer Katie Glusko continued her scholastic career at West Virginia. Current senior Emily Suhey, State's No. 3 in all-time scoring, has signed a national letter of intent to play for Villanova next year. Suzy Carlson, the Lady Little Lion leader in assists and free throw accuracy, was the No. 1 free throw shooter nationally in Division 3 during her career at Rose-Hulman College.

Irwin's basketball history began with her seventh grade team in Branford, Conn. A winning streak that lasted until a game during her sophomore year of high school in which she played with a sprained ankle, preceded two high school state titles. With Irwin in the lineup, Branford was 57-3.

Competing with the volleyball team, Irwin helped Branford win its first ever girls' state championship as a starter in 1981 during her sophomore year when she was the team's MVP.

Another state title followed in 1982 and Branford completed the trifecta in her senior year.

Irwin was all-state in baskeball and volleyball in her junior and senior seasons. At Branford and in her home state, the name Bethany Collins is all over the record books. She's in the Branford and Connecticut Women's Basketball Halls of Fame and, in 2006, was inducted into the New England Women's Basketball Hall of Fame. She was included in a "Best of the Century" list of local legends chosen by the "Hartford Courant" in 1999 and is in Branford's and Connecticut Halls of Fame for Volleyball.

Irwin narrowed her choices to play basketball at Penn State after hearing from 200 colleges. Penn State enjoyed national ranking in all four of her years as a Lady Lion. She helped her alma mater win two Atlantic 10 titles and was part of an NCAA Sweet 16 squad in 1985.

She's still on the top 10 lists at Penn State in rebounding and blocks and is a member of the Lady Lions' Grand Club having scored 1,186 career points.

The daughter of Nancy R. and the late Warren "Bo" Collins, Irwin has two brothers (Warren and Darren) and a sister (Gail).

She married Rob Irwin in 1995 and they have a son Patrick and a daughter Kyla. There also are four stepchildren (Kate, Kristin, Robbie and Chris).

In addition to her coaching duties, Irwin is a learning support instructor for the State College School District.

Bethany's State College Year-By-Year Record

Record Year
11-12 1993-94
16-9 1994-95
14-9 1995-96
18-7 1996-97
18-6 1997-98
15-10 1998-99
20-6 1999-2000
26-2 2000-01
26-4 2001-02
26-3 2002-03
18-8 2003-04
11-17 2004-05
9-16 2005-06
19-9 2006-07
TOTALS 247-118

Assistant Varsity Coach: Rob Irwin

Rob Irwin joined his wife Bethany in the newly position of assistant varsity coach in 2006-07. Rob's JV teams owned five undefeated seasons and won 103 in a row under his guidance. He completed his 11-year stint as the JV coach with a 188-19 record. Rob teaches at Bellefonte High School and is a member of the football coaching staff.

Rob's State College JV Year-By-Year Record

Record Year
16-3 1995-96
19-1 1996-97
14-3 1997-98
16-2 1998-99
18-0 1999-2000
20-0 2000-01
20-0 2001-02
21-0 2002-03
17-0 2003-04
14-3 2004-05
13-7 2005-06
188-19 TOTALS

JV Coach: Brenna O'Conner
Brenna O'Conner took over as the head coach of the JV team last year after serving as a volunteer coach. She's also a member of the junior high school coaching staff. A 1996 Penn State graduate, she was a four-year letterwinner as a thrower on the Lions' track team and won a Mary Beaver White Scholarship. Brenna is from Cold Spring, N.Y.