Two newcomers to Whittier College as well as one familiar face will take on head coaching positions for the Purple and Gold starting in the 2016-17 season.
Roy Dow will lead the women's basketball team, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications Lance Franey '09 will also serve as the director of golf and head women's golf coach, and Robert Neely will lead the men's and women's track and field programs.
Dow is no stranger to success on the sidelines. During his five years at California Lutheran University, he led the Regals to four consecutive winning seasons, back-to-back conference tournament championships and NCAA appearances, as well as a conference title. Prior to Cal Lutheran, Dow was the head coach at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) for six seasons and under his leadership, the Caltech team was featured on ESPN's College GameDay and Cold Pizza television programs as well as the focus of a feature length documentary, Quantum Hoops.
Franey, a Whittier College alumnus, former student-athlete, and staple of the Purple and Gold, will oversee the daily operations, management, and recruiting for both the men's and women's golf programs. Franey will continue in his administrative position as the Assistant Athletic Director for Communications.
"Former golf coach Mike King laid a great foundation for the Whittier program and I want to build upon that and ensure that the Poet ladies remain inside of the top 30 in the Division III national rankings,” said Franey. "In general, my aim is to ensure that our program continues competing at a high level and moving forward with the expectation of earning a trip to the National Championships.”
The men's and women's track and field welcome Head Coach Robert Neely from Pomona-Pitzer where he served as the interim head coach for the 2016 season, while conducting recruiting coordinator duties. A native of Templeton, Calif., Neely received a bachelor's degrees in exercise biology and psychology from University of California, Davis. As a scholar athlete, he set a school record in the long jump (22-6) at Atascadero High School. He has also earned USA Track and Field Level I certification.
