May 22, 2008

THIBODAUX, La. - A new era in Lady Colonel basketball began on Thursday as Nicholls athletics director Rob Bernardi announced the hiring of Loyola University of New Orleans head coach DoBee Plaisance.

"We are extremely excited about what DoBee Plaisance brings to our women's basketball program. I believe she will provide tremendous leadership coupled with a strong commitment to the academic success of our student-athletes," said Bernardi. "She is well connected in terms of recruiting and comes highly recommended by many."

Pending the approval of the University of Louisiana Systems, Plaisance becomes the ninth head coach to lead the Lady Colonel basketball program. She comes to Nicholls after 13 seasons as head coach at Loyola. Since the arrival of scholarships at Loyola in 2004, Plaisance has posted an impressive 81-33 record that includes back-to-back Gulf Coast Athletic Conference (GCAC) Regular Season Championships in 2006-07 and 2007-08.

Her 2006-2007 squad finished 25-9. She was named the GCAC Coach of the Year in two consecutive years, 2007 and 2008. This past season Plaisance led the Wolfpack to a 28-7 record and a trip to the Elite Eight of the NAIA Women's Basketball National Championship Tournament.

The appearance in the Elite 8 was the furthest that Loyola has advanced in the NAIA National Tournament in the program's history. Loyola also eclipsed program records for wins and highest ranking as the Wolfpack won 28 games and were ranked 15th in the final NAIA poll.

"I'm very enthusiastic about this opportunity, and throughout the whole interview process I was really impressed by the contagious support for women's basketball," said Plaisance.

"I'm looking forward to working hard and even though I am very excited and grateful for the opportunity to be the head coach at Nicholls, Loyola will always have a special place in my heart, especially all my players."

Plaisance, a New Orleans native, was a four-year starter throughout her college career, playing two years at the University of New Orleans and two years at Southeastern Louisiana University.

She later graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi and worked as a student assistant coach for the Lady Eagles. She left Southern Mississippi for a position on the Tulane staff as assistant coach. Plaisance spent three years at Tulane before her first job as head coach at St. Martin Episcopal High School in Metairie, La.

In seven of her eight years at St. Martin's, Plaisance successfully guided her squads to the state playoffs before capturing back-to-back state championships in 1993 and 1994. Her teams compiled a 70-4 record over that span that included a perfect 36-0 mark in 1993.

TRANSACTION Nicholls State University - DoBee Plaisance named head women's basketball coach.

What they are saying about DoBee...

"Dobee is one of the young rising stars in our business. She is an outstanding coach and has a great charisma about her. She developed Loyola into one of the elite programs on the NAIA level, and she will use her same positive attitude and tireless work ethic to build a quality program at Nicholls State." - Van Chancellor, LSU Women's Basketball Head Coach.

"DoBee is one of the hardest working coaches I know. I am so happy for her. Not only is Nicholls State getting a good coach, they are getting a good person. She has been successful every place she has coached, and she will bring the same success to Nicholls State." - Kim Mulkey, Baylor Women's Basketball Head Coach.

"The women's basketball program at Nicholls State has just taken one giant step forward with the hiring of DoBee Plaisance. I do not like to predict the future, but I'm confident under Coach Plaisance leadership that the Lady Colonels will be competing for a conference title within the next couple of years. The Nicholls State students, faculty, and faithful fans along the bayou will soon have a competitive women's college basketball team to cheer for. She is a good recruiter, a great teacher of the fundamentals, and her contagious enthusiasm will rekindle the players attitudes and create an exciting atmosphere for women's basketball." - Kathy Luke, Vandebilt Catholic (Houma, La.) Basketball Head Coach.