Coaches
Suzy Venet Head CoachSuzy Venet, 30, enters her third year as the Purple Raider head women’s basketball coach in 2007-08. In her second season as coach at her alma mater, the Raiders (14-13 in 2006-07) posted their highest win total since 2001 and advanced to the OAC semifinals for the first time since that year. In Venet's first year in 2005-06, the Raiders (13-13 in 2005-06) improved their win total by eight games from the previous season. Venet, who graduated with degrees in both sports medicine and physical education in 1998, came to Mount Union from Manchester College (IN), where she led the Spartans to an 11-16 mark in her first year as head coach in 2004-05 – improving the team’s win total by seven games from the 2003-04 season (4-22 record). Prior to coaching at Manchester, Venet spent four years as an assistant coach at Minnesota State University (at Mankato), a Division II women’s basketball program. Venet was a four-year letterwinner and three-year starter for the Purple Raiders during the mid-late 90s. During that period, the Purple Raiders earned three trips to the NCAA Division III Tournament (1995, 1996, 1998) – finishing second in the country during the 1995-96 season and third in the nation in 1997-98. The Raiders also won their only Ohio Athletic Conference Championship during the 1997-98 season, posting a school-best 29-3 mark in the process. Venet, the Ohio Athletic Conference’s Player of the Year in 1997 and again in 1998, earned First-Team All-American honors during the 1997-98 season and was also honored by being named the Division III Women’s Basketball Senior of the Year in 1998. She holds numerous Mount Union records, including most points scored in a season (587 in ’97-98), most career assists (843) and career triple-doubles (10). Venet, who is third on the Lady Raider all-time scoring list (1,528 points), is also the only player in Division III rebounds, steals and assists in one game. Phone: (330) 823-4678 |
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Tony Sokol Assistant CoachTony Sokol, 56, enters his second year as a Raider assistant women’s basketball coach. Sokol was recently an assistant men’s varsity basketball coach at Marlington High School from 2001-04. Prior to that stint, he served as Alliance High School’s varsity men’s assistant basketball coach from 1998-00. Sokol was an assistant coach under Mount Union men’s basketball Head Coach Lee Hood from 1992-97, and was part of the Raider team that set a school-record for wins (29) and earned the College’s first NCAA Division III Playoff berth. He also served two years (1990-92) as an assistant on the men’s side under former Raider Head Coach Ron Hoyt (1990-92). Sokol is a 1973 graduate of the University of Akron with a degree in education. He earned his master’s in education for Dayton University in 1984. He is married to his wife, LuAnn, and has one daughter – Emily.
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Justin Sandherr Assistant CoachJustin Sandherr enters his first year as a Raider assistant women’s basketball coach. Sandherr is a 2007 graduate of Penn State University with a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology. While at Penn State, he was the Penn State women’s club basketball team head coach, compiling a record of 24-5 during that time period – placing second in the East Coast Women’s Club Basketball Tournament. He also worked as an Athletics Operations Intern in Event Management while at State College, PA.
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