Bill Cleary will begin his eighth season as head coach of the Bloomsburg University women’s basketball team in 2015-16.
In seven seasons as head coach, Cleary has turned the Huskies into a regional power, guiding the program to an overall record of 151-55 (.733), including 124-28 (.816) over the past four seasons. Under Cleary, the Huskies have made four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, the longest run for the school since also making four straight appearances from 1989-92. Bloomsburg's 102 wins over the past four seasons make it the winningest four-year period in school history. In 2014-15, Bloomsburg also captured its fifth consecutive outright PSAC East title in 2014-15, becoming the first team in the division to ever accomplish that feat.
Cleary came to Bloomsburg after spending five seasons as the head coach of the women's team at Wilmington University in New Castle, Delaware, where he turned around the struggling program by leading the team from two wins the season prior to his arrival to a school-record 22 wins in 2007-08.
Cleary guided the Huskies to their second straight national Sweet 16 appearance in 2014-15 as the Huskies became the first PSAC East team to ever reach back-to-back regional championship games. Bloomsburg advanced to the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional Championship Game following NCAA Tournament wins over Gannon and Shepherd (West Va.) and then gave eventual national champion California (PA) its toughest test of the entire national tournament in a 72-69 overtime setback at Cal U in the regional final. Following the season, Cleary was named PSAC East Coach of the Year for the second straight season before receiving WBCA Atlantic Region Coach of the Year honors as well after leading the Huskies to a 26-5 overall record and a 20-2 mark against conference foes. Senior Marla Simmons became the fourth Huskies player in the past five years to earn PSAC East Athlete of the Year accolades, also being named a WBCA All-America honorable mention. In all, the Huskies had four players receive all-conference honors - Simmons, PSAC East Freshman of the Year Camden Boehner and senior Jocelyn Ford and redshirt junior Adreana Sadowski were also named All-PSAC East. Following the season,
In 2013-14, the Huskies won their fourth straight outright PSAC East title despite losing five of their six leading scorers from the previous year to graduation. In doing so, Bloomsburg became the first squad to win four consecutive outright Eastern Division titles since the Huskies achieved the feat from 1988-91. At the end of the regular season, Cleary was honored with his second PSAC East Coach of the Year award.
The Huskies made their deepest post-season run since 2001, Atlantic Regional Championship Game and a spot in the national Sweet Sixteen after knocking off nationally-ranked Virginia State and Glenville State, the top-seeded team in the region, in the first and second rounds. Bloomsburg ended its season with a national ranking of No. 14, the highest spot for the Huskies in the final WBCA USA Today Sports Top 25 since 1990-91.
The 2013-14 edition of the Huskies set school records for points scored (2,363), assists (569) and free throw percentage (77.6). Senior Catherine Noack was named PSAC East Athlete of the Year and also was named to the Daktronics Atlantic Region first team as well as the WBCA and Division II Bulletin All-America honorable mention teams after setting the PSAC record for three-point percentage in a season (49.5%). During the year, the Huskies ran off a 17-game winning streak, the third-longest in school history, while finishing the season at 26-5. The 26 victories tie the 2011-12 and 1990-91 teams for the second-most victories in school history behind only the 28 wins of the 1988-89 squad.
As head coach of Bloomsburg University women’s basketball team, Cleary has guided the Huskies to one PSAC championship, three NCAA tournament appearances and four PSAC Eastern Division titles. He also recruited and coached two-time PSAC Eastern Division Athlete of the Year Kelsey Gallagher. Cleary also recruited and coached Dana Wieller, who along with Gallagher would earn PSAC Eastern Division Rookie of the Year honors. During his six years at Bloomsburg, Cleary has recruited and coached four 1,000 point scorers in Noack, Gallagher, Wieller and Kayla Oxenrider.
During the 2012-13 season, Cleary guided the Huskies a third straight PSAC Eastern Division title and PSAC Championship for the second time in school history with a 74-57 win over nationally-ranked Gannon University. In winning the conference championship, Bloomsburg advanced to the NCAA tournament for the second straight year. It was the first time since 1989-92 seasons that the team had made consecutive trips to the NCAA tournament. The Huskies were ranked fifth nationally among 287 women's basketball programs in NCAA Division II in scoring margin, winning its contests by an average of 16.6 points per game. Bloomsburg defense also limited its opponents to the ninth lowest field goal percentage in Division II, as opponents shot just 34 percent for the season. Wieller and Oxenrider were both named All-PSAC that season.
In 2011-12 Cleary brought the women’s basketball program to new heights, guiding the Huskies to the second most wins in school history with a 26-6 record. He coached the Huskies to their second consecutive PSAC East title, their first PSAC Championship appearance in 20 years, as well as their first NCAA playoff appearance in 20 years. The Huskies were also ranked 25th nationally, their first national ranking in 10 seasons. Gallagher repeated as PSAC East Athlete of the Year, along with a second team Daktronics All-Region selection and Women's Division II Bulletin All-American third team honors. Wieller was named to the All-PSAC East first team, while Oxenrider picked up second team accolades.
In 2010-11, Cleary led the Huskies a 22-6 record, including winning the PSAC Eastern Division title and a post-season game for the first time since the 2000-01 season. The success earned Cleary PSAC East Coach of the Year honors. Gallagher was named the Athlete of the Year in the PSAC East, along with second team Daktronics All-Region and Women’s Division II Basketball Bulletin (WDIIB) honorable mention All-American.
In 2009-10, Cleary coached Bloomsburg to the PSAC playoffs for the first time since 2004-05, with Dana Wieller being named PSAC Eastern Division Rookie of the Year.
During Cleary’s first season with the Huskies in 2008-09, he led the team to 11 wins, with Gallagher being named PSAC Eastern Division Rookie of the Year. The 11 wins were the first time in four years the team had won 10 or more games.
As head women’s basketball coach at Wilmington, he helped turnaround the Wildcats' program from a two-win team into a 20-win team with a record over his final four seasons of 54-60. During his final season in 2007-08, Wilmington finished 22-9 and the Wildcats won the school's first ever women's basketball championship when the team won the ECAC Division II championship. That season, Wilmington was ranked in the NCAA Northeast Regional poll for the first time in school history, including ending the season with a ninth-place ranking.
Prior to taking over at Wilmington, Cleary spent one season as an assistant men’s basketball coach at Towson University (MD) and two years as a men’s basketball graduate assistant at Georgia Tech under Paul Hewitt. While at Georgia Tech, Cleary also earned his Master's Degree in Sports Administration.
Cleary is a 1998 graduate of Villanova University with a degree in Political Science. He and his wife Jackie are the parents of two boys, Billy and Chase.
YEAR-BY-YEAR AT BLOOMSBURG| YEAR | OVERALL | PCT | PSAC | PCT | POSTSEASON |
| 2008-09 | 11-16 | .407 | 3-11 | .214 | |
| 2009-10 | 16-11 | .593 | 8-6 | .571 | PSAC Quarterfinals |
| 2010-11 | 22-6 | .786 | 13-1 | .929 | PSAC Semifinals |
| 2011-12 | 26-6 | .812 | 18-4 | .818 | PSAC Finals / NCAA First Round |
| 2012-13 | 24-6 | .800 | 17-5 | .773 | PSAC Champions / NCAA First Round |
| 2013-14 | 26-5 | .839 | 14-2 | .875 | PSAC Semifinals / NCAA Sweet 16 |
| 2014-15 | 26-5 | .839 | 20-2 | .909 | PSAC Semifinals / NCAA Sweet 16 |
| 2015-16 | 13-14 | .481 | 10-12 | .455 | PSAC First Round |
| TOTALS | 164-69 | .704 | 97-42 | .698 | |
