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Kent State Women's Basketball Camps
Golden Flashes Coaching Staff
Associate Head Coach Lori Bodnar
Long associated with Kent State basketball, associate head coach Lori Bodnar is in her 23rd season with the Golden Flashes in 2010-11 and begins her eighth campaign in her current role.
Her tenure at Kent State has Bodnar among the nation's elite, as she is eighth in the nation among associate and assistant coaches that are currently at the same school.
Since her first season with Kent State in 1988, Bodnar has been a crucial part of a program that has produced three Mid-American Conference Tournament champions, 12 20-win seasons and four NCAA tournament appearances.
“Lori is the backbone of the success of the program,” Head Coach Bob Lindsay said. “She has been instrumental in the development of a number of all-conference posts through the years. She has an excellent relationship with players and coaches throughout the state of Ohio. Lori also coordinates the in-state recruiting plus European athletes.”
Bodnar’s main responsibilities with the program include her role as recruiting coordinator and the coaching of Kent State’s post players. The University of Rio Grande graduate oversees fundraising, community service and public relations for the program. Bodnar also helps out with the monitoring of the team’s academic performance.
Bodnar’s passion to connect with the community has not gone unnoticed. Earlier this year, Bodnar was one of a select few on the Kent State campus to earn one of the first Kent State President’s Excellence Awards. President Lester A. Lefton awarded Bodnar her honor in February, finding the long-time coach on the practice court while tutoring KSU student-athletes.
Since arriving at Kent State, Bodnar has proved her value to the program by recruiting and coaching 14 All-MAC selections and two MAC tournament MVPs.
One of Bodnar’s greatest successes at Kent State is no doubt the mentoring of former forward Lindsay Shearer to three consecutive first-team All-MAC honors as well as Player of the Year accolades in 2005-06. Under Bodnar’s instruction, centers Andrea Csaszar and Julie Studer achieved MAC Tournament MVP honors in 2002 and 2000, respectively.
For 18 seasons Bodnar has been the director of the Kent State Women’s Basketball Camps. One of the largest team camps in Ohio, it draws nearly 1,000 attendees annually.
Before starting her coaching career, the Blaine, Ohio native was a four-year letterwinner as the starting center at the University of Rio Grande in Rio Grande, Ohio. Bodnar graduated from Rio Grande in 1986 with a bachelor’s degree in business education.
Bodnar belongs to both the National Basketball Coaches Association and the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association.
Outside of the Kent State program, Bodnar has worked with the Portage County Special Olympic track and field program for the last 15 years. She is also a committee member for the American Cancer Society’s “Relay for Life.”
Bodnar started her coaching career at Buckeye Trail High School in Old Washington, Ohio, where she had two successful years at the girls’ junior varsity and assistant varsity basketball coach.
Assistant Coach Lou DiFeo
Lou DiFeo is in his first year as an assistant coach at Kent State. At Kent State, DiFeo will serve as the recruiting coordinator along with assisting in all aspects of coaching.
DiFeo arrives at Kent State following a two-year stint at Florida Atlantic University. While with the Owls, DiFeo was instrumental in recruiting a 10-player class last year, which included five nationally-ranked players. Dan Olson’s Collegiate Girls Basketball Report tabbed the recruiting class as the No. 52 recruiting class in the nation.
On the court, DiFeo aided FAU in turning around its women’s basketball fortune. After back-to-back 2-16 seasons in the Sun Belt, FAU improved to 9-9 and 10-8 the past two seasons with DiFeo’s help.
Prior to his time at FAU, DiFeo spent four seasons at the University of Tennessee at Martin, helping the program turn from a nine-win season to 17 victories in 2006-07, marking the ninth-best improvement in the NCAA that season. As the recruiting coordinator, DiFeo helped land three players that went on to garner OVC all-newcomer team honors.
Before serving as the head coach at the University of Montevallo for one season at the NCAA Division II level, DiFeo spent one season at the University of South Alabama, aiding the Jaguars to a 19-10 record overall, the Sun Belt regular season conference title and a WNIT berth.
Passionate about teaching, DiFeo got his start in the women’s game in 2002 at Birmingham-Southern College. DiFeo aided Birmingham-Southern to a 35-20 record during the program’s first two seasons as an NCAA Division I institution.
DiFeo further gained coaching experience as an assistant boys’ basketball coach at Homewood (Ala.) High School, where he helped the Patriots register a 65-29 record over three seasons. He began is coaching career at Oviedo (Fla.) High School, where the Lions went 30-4 and finished as the Florida 6A State runners-up.
DiFeo graduated from the University of Central Florida in 1996 with a degree in physical education. While an undergraduate, DiFeo spent time as a student assistant with the UCF men’s basketball team, where the Knights made two trips to the NCAA tourament.
Assistant Coach Kerrie James
After a two-year stint as Kent State’s director of basketball operations, Kerrie James begins her first season as an assistant coach for her alma mater.
A 2007 Kent State graduate and four-year letter winner, James will assist all coaching aspects, focusing primarily on the Golden Flashes’ guards. She will also aid in recruiting, team travel and summer camps.
“Kerrie was a very successful student-athlete here,” Head Coach Bob Lindsay said. “Her excellent work habits and strong people skills will greatly benefit our program.”
James spent two seasons as the first-ever director of basketball operations for Kent State women’s basketball. She facilitated video exchange, team travel and served in an academic supervisory role for the players.
James played in 104 career games and earned Academic All-MAC honors following a senior season in which she was also the only player to start all 28 games. In four seasons with James, the Golden Flashes went 76-41.
“It’s a good to be back and be in this team environment,” James said of returning. “Kent State is a home away from home for me.”
The Mississauga, Ontario native earned her bachelor’s degree in December of 2007 after completing and internship with the Harlem Ambassadors in New York. She was part of the Ambassadors’ traveling basketball show performance, which promotes staying in school and staying off drugs.
James made 61 career starts as a guard with the Flashes, compiling 458 career points, 162 rebounds, 184 assists and 99 assists. James was also considered one of the top defenders on the team.
Anna Kowalska- Graduate Assistant Coach
