Athletics

2008-09 Women's Basketball
Coaching Staff

Bob Booher Head Coach 4th Season
(ph): 440.375.7476 (fax) 440.375.7474 bbooher@lec.edu	A 37-year veteran in the coaching world, head coach Bob Booher is in his fourth season with the Lake Erie College women's basketball program. After three complete seasons with the Storm, Booher is the winningest coach in program history, directing last year's squad to its best overall and conference records, its highest standing in the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) and its first-ever appearance in the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Tournament. Under his direction, the team became the first in the program to qualify for the AMCC Tournament with back-to-back appearances in the two most recent seasons. His teams also became the first to win a playoff game and make it to the semifinals of the postseason tournament on both occasions. He was voted AMCC Coach of the Year in 2007 and 2008, while coaching the conference Newcomer of the Year both seasons. With all of the team's accomplishments in the past three years, which include setting more than 35 records, Booher looks to maintain that success at the next level as the Storm competes as an NCAA Division II provisional member as an independent during the 2008-09 season.   Immediately prior to Lake Erie, Booher spent six seasons at Lakeland Community College as the head women's basketball coach where he led the Lakers to five consecutive national rankings in the NJCAA, as well as five Region XII top-ranked Ohio team finishes. His overall record of 129-52 included Ohio Community College Athletic Conference (OCCAC) Coach of the Year honors in 2003 and 2005 as his teams were consistently ranked among the top 25 in the nation in both offense and defense.   For 35 years, Booher was an employee of Lakeland, retiring in June 2007 as the physical education department chair and professor. During that time, he also served as a head coach for men's baseball (1982-92) and women's softball (1976-81) and was an assistant for the baseball program (1973-75). He became the first coach at the institution to accumulate 100 wins in three different sports, and to this day, is the only coach to ever achieve such a feat.   His additional coaching credentials include serving as the assistant varsity girls' basketball coach at Willoughby South High School for six seasons (1993-99) and as a head coach of several USSSA nationally-ranked women's amateur softball teams for the past 12 years.   A native of Painesville, Ohio, and graduate of Harvey High School, Booher holds a bachelor's degree from Ohio University in education and a master's degree in education from Kent State University. He currently resides in Concord with his wife of 35 years, Debbie, and has two children, Kristy and Ross.     BOOHER FILE Year / Overall; AMCC 2005-06 11-15; 10-8 2006-07 6-17; 5-13 2007-08 16-11; 14-4   TOTALS 33-43; 29-25   AMCC Coach of the Year 2006-07 2007-08

Joe Perella Assistant Coach 2nd Season
(fax) 440.375.7474 kbooher@lec.edu	Assistant coach Joe Perella is in his second season on the Storm coaching staff this season, but has long-time ties to both head coach Bob Booher and fellow assistant Kristy Booher. Perella began coaching alongside Bob Booher when they both served as assistants to the Willoughby South High School girls' varsity basketball team back in 1993. The two coached Kristy for three seasons with the Rebels and then later reunited on the coaching staff at Lakeland Community College in 1999 - the elder Booher as the head coach and Perella as an assistant. Kristy joined the two in 2001 as an official member of the coaching staff where the three remained until 2005. At that time, Perella became the head boys' varsity basketball coach at Beachwood High School - a position he retained until returning to Booher's side at the collegiate level in 2007. Perella's additional coaching credentials include assistant stints with the boys' varsity teams at Beachwood and Orange High Schools and several years with girls' youth teams at St. Clare Church. He is a former player for the state runners-up Cathedral Latin High School and is a graduate of Cleveland State University with a bachelor's degree in history. He also earned a degree in physical education from Richardson University. A native of Mayfield Heights, Ohio, he resides in Lyndhurst with his wife of 16 years, Michele and two children, Angela (15) and Amanda (10). He is self-employed.

Darren Jones Assistant Coach 4th Season
(fax) 440.375.7474 djones@lec.edu	Darren Jones has served as a women's basketball coach for more than a decade as he enters his fourth year with the Storm program in 2008-09 as an assistant coach and the head junior varsity coach. His coaching career includes terms at Lutheran East High School, Laurel School, Beachwood High School and Ursuline College. Jones played basketball at Euclid High School under the leadership of Doc Daugherty before graduating from Cleveland Heights High School. He attended Airco Technical Institute in San Diego, Calif. where he earned a degree in welding and blue print reading. He currently works as an electric bridge operator for the City of Cleveland. A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Jones has a strong community and volunteer focus. He has provided leadership to Operation Destiny, Inc. in the past by delivering motivational workshops for youth in the Cleveland area. He also served as a volunteer coach for the Larry Doby Cleveland Indians Traveling All-Star Baseball Team and Parker Hannifin's women's softball team. He currently lives in Shaker Heights with his wife of 14 years, Phyllis and has a daughter Trena who attends Ohio University.

Kristy Booher Assistant Coach 3rd Season
(ph): 440.375.7475 (fax) 440.375.7474 kbooher@lec.edu	Kristy Booher joined Lake Erie College as the director of sports media relations in September of 2006. At that time she became an official volunteer coach with the women's team after a year of assisting both the Storm men's and women's basketball teams with scorekeeping. He official return to coaching marked a reunion with her father Bob, after having coached alongside him for three years with the nationally-ranked Lakeland Community College women's basketball team. A graduate of Lakeland and Ohio University's highly acclaimed E.W. Scripps School of Journalism, Booher graduated with honors from both institutions. While at Lakeland, she was a two-year starting centerfielder for the two-time Ohio Community College Athletic Conference (OCCAC) champions. She earned all-conference, All-Region XII and was the college's first-ever fastpitch National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Academic All-American. As a broadcast major at OU, she worked for WOUB-Public Broadcasting as a radio and television reporter and was inducted into the WOUB Hall of Fame. She was also inducted into the Willoughby South High School Hall of Fame for her accomplishments as a multi-year all-conference basketball and softball player. Today Booher continues to play softball for a nationally-ranked women's softball team out of Cincinnati. The Willoughby, Ohio native currently resides in Concord. She is a fourth-year member of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) and was recently recognized on a national level by the organization for her writing on the Storm football program, which was also featured in Touchdown Illustrated.

Hollie Knott Graduate Assistant 1st Season
(fax) 440.375.7474 hknott@lec.edu	Hollie Knott is in her first season with the Storm basketball program as a graduate assistant after having lettered four years for the women’s basketball program at Heidelberg College. Knott was a two-time team Hardest Worker Award winner, while also earning the honor of Most Improved Player and serving as team co-captain her senior season. She earned a bachelor’s degree in health and physical education recreation.   Prior to Heidelberg, Knott graduated from nearby Riverside High School where she was a three-year member of the varsity basketball team. She earned News-Herald and Plain Dealer Honorable Mention and was a Plain Dealer Player of the Week for the Co-Premier Athletic Conference Champions. She also set the school record for rebounds in a game with 23.   Knott has experience coaching at the YMCA Sports Camp and Perry Middle School summer camp. She is a native of Painesville, Ohio, and is working towards a master’s degree in education from Lake Erie College.