After helping Sport Tours International grow its brand in the field of women’s basketball Joan Bonvicini will return to the sidelines as she was recently named head coach of Division I Seattle University. Bonvicini worked extensively with Division I women’s coaches during her year plus at STI and was the brainchild of the new women’s postseason event, the Women’s Basketball Invitational (WBI).

“I am really happy for Joan,” Sport Tours President Lee Frederick said. “She was a huge asset to us and everyone here will miss her. But we know her true love and passion is coaching and it’s great that she will be back on the sidelines—where she truly belongs.”

Bonvicini, one of the most successful coaches in women’s collegiate basketball history came to Sport Tours after winning stints the University of Arizona and Long Beach State University, has been named head coach of the Seattle University women’s basketball team. Bonvicini owns a 612-294 (.676) career record and is 26th on the NCAA all-time wins list for women’s college basketball at all levels. She became the 18th coach in NCAA Division I women’s basketball history to reach the 600-win mark in February 2007.

At Arizona, Bonvicini accumulated a 287-223 (.563) record over 17 seasons and led the Wildcats to nine postseason appearances, including seven NCAA Tournament berths and the WNIT Championship in 1996. She was head coach at Arizona from 1991 to 2008.

“I am thrilled to join the team at Seattle University and to return to the sidelines as a head coach,” Bonvicini said. “I am here to build champions.”

Bonvicini is in five halls of fame: the Southern Connecticut State Hall of Fame (1989), the Connecticut Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame (1994), the Long Beach State Athletic Hall of Fame (1996), the Pima County Sports Hall of Fame (2005), and the New England Basketball Hall of Fame (2007).

She started her head coaching career at Long Beach State in 1979, posting a 325-71 record (.821) in her 12 seasons with the 49ers. Long Beach State never won fewer than 24 games in a season under Bonvicini. It took ten conference championships with her and earned ten straight berths in the NCAA Tournament, including Final Four appearances in 1987 and 1988.

A guard during her playing days, Bonvicini helped Southern Connecticut State earn third and fourth place finishes in the AIAW Championships. She was a finalist for the 1976 U.S. Olympic Basketball Team.