Director of Athletics, Brian D. Stanchak, announced today the hiring of Kevin Kringe as Penn State Wilkes-Barre new Head Women's Basketball Coach.
A native of Hazleton, PA, Kringe, 40, brings a wealth of success to Penn State Wilkes-Barre. He served the previous 14 seasons as the top assistant at Hazleton Area High School helping the Lady Cougars build a successful program. During his tenure on staff, the Hazleton Area girls won 8 consecutive Wyoming Valley Conference Championships from 2001-2009 and 4 District II championships. Coach Kringe also his guided his 2002 JV team to a 22-0 season which was the first undefeated team in Hazleton Area school history. At the JV level, he compiled a 246-72 record and was the WVC JV Coach of the Year four times. He has coached and developed many great student-athletes that have went on to play college basketball at the Division II and III levels.
Kringe attended Bishop Hafey High School where he was an All-League performer in both cross-country and basketball. He is the career assist and steals leader at Hafey and holds the record for the most assists in one game (17 vs Schuylkill Haven in 1988) and recorded the school's first triple-double, also in 1989. Kringe then went on to have a successful career at King's College in Wilkes-Barre, PA. At King's, the Monarchs earned two berths in the NCAA Division III Tournament (1991 & 1992) and won the Freedom League in the 1993-94 season. Coach Kringe earned a bachelor's degree in education at King's and is currently a middle school teacher in the Hazleton Area School District.
"Kevin Kringe's successful playing and coaching experience in the area makes him a tremendous asset to our women's basketball program. His enthusiasm and passion for developing student-athletes on and off the court stood out to me during the interview process, and I am confident that he will lead our women's basketball team to a high level of success next season and for the foreseeable future," said Director of Athletics, Brian D. Stanchak.
Coach Kringe resides in Drums, PA with his wife Marsha, a basketball and softball standout also at Kings College, and their three children Jillian (8), Lacie (7), and Nate (3).