Thanks to a great source on this one…we had Harding’s name here on March 23rd (http://hoopdirt.com/blog/c6ff8a80/small-college-dirt/…). He has now officially been named as the head coach at Assumption College…
Michael Harding has been named as the men’s basketball head coach at Assumption College, as announced by Nick Smith, director of athletics and recreation. Harding is the 14th head coach in the program’s history.
"We are extremely excited to have Michael Harding as our men’s basketball head coach," said Smith. "Michael is someone who is very familiar with the Northeast-10 Conference and Assumption College and who understands the landscape of recruiting in one of the most competitive leagues in the country. I am happy to welcome Michael to Assumption as we look to achieve excellence on the court, in the classroom and in the community."
Harding comes to Assumption from Division I UMass Lowell, where he has served as the program’s associate head coach. During his two seasons with the Riverhawks, he worked closely with head coach Pat Duquette as the program transitioned from Division II to Division I.
"I am thrilled to be named as the men’s basketball head coach at Assumption College and I would like to thank Nick Smith and the College’s administration for providing me with this opportunity," said Harding. "This is an exciting time to be associated with athletics at Assumption College and I hope to build a program at Assumption that the College, alumni and the community can be proud of."
Prior to his time at UMass Lowell, Harding was the men’s basketball head coach from 2010-2013 at Northeast-10 member Saint Michael’s College in Colchester, Vt. In his three seasons with the Purple Knights, Harding led his team to the Northeast-10 Conference Tournament for the first time since 2007 while recruiting a number of future All-Conference performers to the Purple Knights program.
His longest stop was at Northeast-10 rival Stonehill College from 2005-2010, where Harding served as the program’s associate head coach as the Skyhawks captured two Northeast-10 Championships, advanced to three NCAA Regionals and one NCAA Final Four in 2006. He helped recruit a class of student-athletes that averaged over 20 wins per season for five straight seasons.
Harding’s coaching career began at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine, where he worked for the 2004-2005 season. A 2003 graduate of Bowdoin, Harding earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in government and legal studies while also serving as the senior captain of the basketball team. He went on to earn his Master of Arts degree in education from Tufts University in May 2007.
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