Aug. 29, 2007

From the Niagara University web page, Grand Valley State University web page and LSSU Sports Information

NIAGARA UNIVERSITY, N.Y. - Kendra (Harris) Faustin, one of the New York area's top up-and-coming young coaches, has been named Niagara University's seventh women's basketball coach, athletics director Ed McLaughlin announced Wednesday morning in the legendary Taps Gallagher Center.

"After a lengthy search with an excellent pool of candidates, I am thrilled to announce Kendra Faustin as our new women's basketball coach," McLaughlin said. "She has played an integral role in the success of the programs where she has worked in the past. She is a tireless recruiter, a high-energy personality and a tremendous role model for our student-athletes. We fully expect her to build upon the foundation created by Bill Agronin and take us to the top tier of the MAAC."

University president Rev. Joseph L. Levesque, C.M. echoed McLaughlin's sentiments regarding Faustin.

"We have found someone with the energy, commitment and talent to be successful as the head women's basketball coach at Niagara University -- someone who will put her own mark on the program," Levesque said.

Faustin, who was introduced in the legendary Taps Gallagher Center, begins her first head coaching job immediately.

"I want to thank Fr. Levesque and Ed McLaughlin for this wonderful opportunity," Faustin said. "I also want to thank all the people here at Niagara University who have made me feel so welcome and comfortable, with a special thanks to Glenn Hofmann, Theresa Berg and head men's basketball coach Joe Mihalich.

"My vision for the future of Niagara women's basketball is to have each student-athlete leave here having had the best experience possible academically, graduating, athletically, winning a MAAC championship, and personally, growing as an individual.

Faustin comes to Monteagle Ridge after spending three seasons as head assistant coach at Canisius College. She is responsible for working with the Golden Griffins' post players, opponent scouting, recruiting players from the Midwestern portion of the United States and dealing with the program's NCAA compliance issues.

Prior to arriving in Western New York, Faustin spent two seasons as an assistant coach at Division II Hillsdale College in Hillsdale, Mich. She was a part of the Hillsdale coaching staff that guided the Chargers to a school-best 23-6 record and a second-straight Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference South Division crown after the 2002-03 campaign.

Faustin began her collegiate coaching career at Gannon University in Erie, Pa., where the Knights posted a 20-8 record and earned a third-consecutive appearance in the NCAA Division II National Tournament.

Faustin has worked numerous summer camps and clinics and served as Hillsdale's summer camp coordinator and fund-raising coordinator.

A four-year starter and letterwinner at Lake Superior State in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., Faustin was selected the Lakers' Co-Most Valuable Player after the 2000-01 season and also served as a team co-captain in her senior campaign. She is currently ranked sixth in career three-point field goals with 114. She posted career averages of 10.1 points and 3.8 rebounds per game.

Jill VanderEnde

Grand Valley State women's basketball head coach Janel Burgess announced the hiring of former Laker Jill VanderEnde as her top assistant coach for the 2007-08 season. VanderEnde joins the Laker staff after spending last season as an assistant coach for the women's basketball team at Eastern Michigan.

Prior to her one-year stint at Eastern Michigan, VanderEnde spent five years as an assistant coach at Central Michigan University. Before coaching at Central Michigan, VanderEnde was an assistant coach at the University of Findlay where she helped lead the team to an NAIA Final Four appearance and a GLIAC South Division title.

VanderEnde was a four-year standout guard at LSSU. She earned All-GLIAC honors in her senior campaign and was honored by LSSU with the Deborah McPherson "Outstanding Female Athlete Award." She graduated from LSSU with a bachelor's degree in human services in 1999 and earned her master's in business administration in 2000 while coaching at Findlay. She is ranked 11th on LSSU's career scoring list with 1,291 points.