Charleston, S.C. - The Citadel Athletics Department and Athletics Director Les Robinson hosted a press conference on Friday, April 7th at McAlister Field House to announce Ed Conroy as the new head coach for The Citadel Basketball.
Conroy, a 1989 Citadel alum, recently completed his first season as an assistant coach at Coastal Carolina University under Buzz Peterson. He joined Coastal after spending four years on Peterson’s staff at Tennessee, the last two as an assistant. Prior to being named an assistant coach, Conroy served as the Director of Basketball Operations for the Volunteers during the 2001-02 and 2002-03 seasons after holding the same position on Peterson’s staff at the University of Tulsa in 2000-01.
“We are very proud to announce Ed Conroy as our basketball coach at The Citadel,” Robinson said. “Having known Ed for more than 20 years, I can attest to the fact that he represents the model of what we want our graduates to become.
“Our theme at The Citadel is that we want to graduate young men and women who will become principled leaders in our society. Ed Conroy is a walking example of this model. He is what we want as an alumnus and coach and he is someone all Citadel alumni can take pride in him as our basketball coach,” Robinson added.
A native of Davenport, Iowa, Conroy, 39, was recruited to play basketball for The Citadel by Robinson in 1985 and was a three-year starter for the Bulldogs. He served as team captain his senior year and held the rank of Lt. Colonel in the Corps of Cadets, the highest rank achieved by a basketball player in the modern era at The Citadel.
“It’s an honor and privilege to come back and be the basketball coach at my alma mater, a place that means a great deal to me and is a big part of who I am today,” Conroy said. “Growing up, my dream was to play Division I basketball. I also knew that one day I would like to be a Division I head coach. The Citadel was the school that allowed me to do that. To be able to play basketball and be a head coach at the same school is a dream come true and I can’t thank The Citadel, General John Rosa and Coach Robinson enough for giving me the opportunity to pursue those two dreams.”
After graduating from the military school in 1989 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, Conroy earned his first coaching job as an assistant to Robinson at North Carolina State. After coaching the Wolfpack for three seasons (1990-93), he served as an assistant at VMI (1993-94) and Furman (1994-97). He earned his first head coaching job at Francis Marion University where he led the Patriots to a 41-40 record in three seasons (1997-2000). During his first season at FMU, Conroy was named the Peach Belt Athletic Conference Coach of the Year after recording 16 wins and 12 losses in 1997-98, a 13-game improvement from the previous season.
“He has had a long journey getting here to this opportunity and he has gained valuable experience from working with several great coaches, including those in the Southern Conference, as well the ACC and SEC,” Robinson said. “The fact that he was a gold star student, Lt. Colonel in the Corps of Cadets and captain of the basketball team signifies that he’s the total package and we’re honored to have him on our staff at The Citadel.
Conroy becomes the 27th head coach in all-time at The Citadel. He and his wife Ginny will reside in Charleston with their three children, Riley (10), Hunt (7) and Hannah (4).