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Former Auburn University Associate Head Coach Kerry Cremeans is the new Pioneer women’s basketball head coach, Vice Chancellor for Athletics and Recreation Peg Bradley-Doppes announced today.

“I am very honored and humbled to become the new head coach at the University of Denver,” said Cremeans. “There is a strong foundation already in place, and I am ready to continue building on that with these incredible young ladies that represent DU. I want to especially thank Peg Bradley-Doppes and Pam Wettig for this unbelievable opportunity. They are the best-of-the-best in college athletics, and I look forward to working alongside them.”

After spending eight years coaching at Auburn University, Cremeans becomes the ninth head coach since the program’s inception in 1974, succeeding former head coach Erik Johnson, who left Denver to take the head coaching position at Boston College earlier this month.

“The future of DU basketball is bright and great things are on the horizon,” said Cremeans. “We will represent this university and athletic department with the highest level of integrity and class. We will be relentless on the court and we will strive for excellence in the classroom. I can’t wait to get started.”

Cremeans boasts more than 18 years of coaching experience after graduating from Florida in 1994 as a four-year basketball letter winner with a degree in exercise science. During her time as a Gator, she helped her team to consecutive NCAA tournament appearances, the first in the university’s history. She concluded her career at Florida as the all-time leader in three-pointers made and went on to earn her master’s in sport management from Kentucky in 2004.

“It was a fun search and an easy search,” said Bradley-Doppes. “She’s wonderful and the kids are going to love her. She’s a proven winner.”

Cremeans received her first coaching job as an assistant women’s basketball coach at Kentucky in 1994. After that, she spent seven years as the top recruiter at Purdue before coaching at her alma mater at Florida in 2003-2004 and posting a 19-11 record, a 10-win improvement over the previous season.

“Kerry’s energy and passion for all things women’s basketball is inspiring and infectious,” said Bradley-Doppes. “She has a great pedigree for success, and we are so proud to have her as a part of our Pioneer family.”