Alvernia athletic director Bill Stiles named former Crusader Jen Sawyer the interim women's basketball coach on Tuesday. She replaces Kevin Calabria, who went 433-248 in 25 years.
"We are excited to be able to promote someone in Jen Sawyer who takes the reigns having a longstanding familiarity with the university and our basketball program," said Stiles of the appointment. "She has been with Alvernia for nearly a decade as both a player and coach, and she has good rapport with the team."
Sawyer played four years for the Maroon and Gold from 2000-2004 and finished her career ninth in scoring with 1,079 points. She led the Crusaders to two Pennsylvania Athletic Conference championships and an ECAC South Region appearance.
After graduating from Alvernia in 2004, Sawyer started her coaching career as an assistant at Alvernia for four years. She then took the job as the junior varsity head coach and varsity assistant at Conrad Weiser High School, and held that position for five years before returning to Alvernia as an assistant before the 2013-14 season.
"I'm looking forward to this new opportunity," said Sawyer. "As both a graduate and a former player, I have a lot invested in Alvernia and our basketball program. This season holds a lot of potential and I'm excited to get started.
The Crusaders start practice on Wednesday with the season-opener schedule for Saturday, Nov. 15 at the McDaniel Tip-Off Tournament.