Pirtle Adds Two to Staff

June 26, 2006

CINCINNATI, Ohio -- Dave Dagostino and Tammy Douglass have been added to the University of Cincinnati women's basketball coaching staff, announced head coach Laurie Pirtle.

Dagostino takes over as recruiting coordinator for the Bearcats, while also working with the UC post players. Douglass, who played for the Bearcats between 1998 and 2002, will coach the post players while serving as the staff's academic liaison and student-athlete welfare coordinator.

Dagostino spent the last three years as the head coach at Jacksonville State after three years as the recruiting coordinator of the Gamecocks. He led JSU to a 44-41 overall record as head coach and reached the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament all three years. JSU set a school-record for wins in his first season at the helm and posted back-to-back winning seasons for the first time in the school's Division I history.

"Dave brings head coaching experience," said head coach Laurie Pirtle. "He has really hit the ground running as far as recruiting. He fits right in here."

Dagostino started his coaching career at his alma mater, Union College, after graduating in 1995. He served as recruiting coordinator for the 1998 and 1999 seasons before serving in the same capacity at the College of Saint Rose for a season. The Lady Knights set the Division II record for consecutive wins that year with 34.

Douglass was a four-year letterwinner for the Bearcats and was a captain on the 2001-02 team that won a school-record 27 games and reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament. She played in 105 games in her career and still ranks seventh in UC history with a .497 career field goal percentage. Douglass averaged 9.3 points and 6.3 rebounds over the final two years of her career. Since graduating with a degree in criminal justice in 2002, Douglass has been serving as a caseworker in the Marion County (IN) Adult Probation Department.

"Tammy is a great manager of people," said Pirtle. "She has a real gift for it. She is also very intelligent with the game of basketball. Tammy has been around this program since she graduated and the players really respond to her."

The Bearcats finished their first season in the BIG EAST with a 17-12 record and reached the postseason for the eighth time in nine seasons.