Contact:
Elizabeth Blevins, Director, Office of Communications
Phyllis Noah, Communications Coordinator
Office: (740) 351-3810; FAX: (740) 351-3179; Cell: (740) 464-4854
940 Second Street – Portsmouth, Ohio 45662
E-mail: eblevins@shawnee.edu or pnoah@shawnee.edu
Web site: www.shawnee.edu

            Achieving some of the highest honors in sports, Shawnee State University Women’s Basketball Coach Robin Hagen-Smith has been named the grand marshal of the longest daytime parade in the state of Ohio, the Portsmouth River Days Parade.
            Since 1983, Hagen-Smith has been the women’s head basketball coach at Shawnee State and she has posted an overall record of 640-187. She is one of the all-time most winning active coaches ever in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics.
            Hagen-Smith has received many coaching awards and will receive the highest honor in March 2011 when she will be inducted into the NAIA Hall of Fame. Her awards include the Mid-Ohio Conference and American Mideast Conference Coach of the Year six times, 1997-98 Women’s Basketball Coaches Association IKON Coach of the Year, 1999 NAIA National Coach of the Year, 1999 Dispatch Women’s Ohio Basketball Coach of the Year, and in 2008 was named the NAIA Region IX Coach of Character.
            In 2010 she led the team to their first-ever NAIA Division II National Runner-up title, and during the 2008-09 season held a perfect record of 29-0. Hagen-Smith has led the Bears to 17 national tournament appearances, 10 conference championships and a National Championship in 1999.
            Following Hagen-Smith in the parade will be student athletes, coaches and students. The SSU baseball team with Head Coach Ted Tom has been serving the court luncheon for the River Days Parade court officials for the past three years. SSU cheerleaders have marched in the parade several times.
            Hagen-Smith will participate in the River Days Parade with her family and all the athletes at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 4. She and her husband, Gregg, who has been her assistant since 1988, have two children, Ali and Aleza