Lester Rowe joined the Norse in July 2019.
Rowe spent the last eight seasons as an assistant coach for the Mountaineers and was an integral part of one of the most successful runs in program history as West Virginia had seven-straight winning seasons, including six 20-win campaigns, a regular-season Big 12 Championship, a Big 12 Tournament Championship and five NCAA Tournament appearances. In addition to opponent scouting reports and scout team preparation, Rowe was responsible for the recruitment and/or development of seven All-Big 12 selections, with four going on to the WNBA Draft. Highlighting those draft picks is Bria Holmes, a two-time All-America Honorable Mention and first-round draft pick in 2016.
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Prior to serving as the women’s assistant coach, Rowe spent five seasons with the men’s program from 1997-2002. During that span, the Mountaineers posted 73 wins and took a trip to the Sweet 16 in 1998. Rowe recruited and/or developed seven All-Big East selections during his tenure with the men’s program, including three-time honoree Damian Owens.
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Rowe’s coaching career followed an illustrious career at West Virginia from 1981-85. He helped lead the Mountaineers to three Atlantic 10 championships and was the A-10 Tournament MVP as a junior. Rowe is a member of the 1976-85 WVU all-time basketball team and was inducted into the West Virginia Sports Hall of Fame in 2014. Following his collegiate career, Rowe spent eight seasons playing professionally in Argentina, the Philippines, Venezuela, France, Germany and the US.
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