Triton College Names Jim Rivera New Women's Basketball Head Coach

The Triton College Athletic Department announced the appointment of Jim Rivera as head women's basketball coach for the 2010-11 season. The Schiller Park resident brings to the table more than 20 years of coaching experience including the last three seasons as an assistant coach for the Triton men's basketball team.
"We're happy to have Jim Rivera on the staff to take the women's basketball program in a new direction," said Triton College Athletic Director Harry McGinnis. "He's done great work as an assistant for our men's program under Steve Christiansen and hope he can bring that winning attitude and competitiveness he had with the men to the women's side."
Rivera is a familiar face to local basketball fans. Before coming to Triton, Rivera served under both Larry Schulte and Greg Lehmann as an assistant boy's basketball coach at Fenton High School in Bensenville. Rivera left Fenton for a post within the Leyden High School feeder program under Ken Davis. After Leyden, Rivera switched his focus to the AAU scene, where he teamed up with highly regarded, long-time IHSA floor boss, Dennis Kessell.
"I am blessed to be put in this situation," Rivera said. "Having the chance to be a head coach is something I've been looking forward to for a long time. I feel grateful to both Harry McGinnis for the opportunity to turn the Triton women's basketball program around and to Steve Christiansen for the opportunity he gave me to be apart his staff the last three years."
Recruiting has been Rivera's top priority since being named officially as head coach. He has developed many positive leads in building a squad for next season to complement the players returning as sophomores. Rivera wants to have a team that can play an up-tempo style that has the ability to get out in transition.
"I think we need to change the culture that has been linked with the program in years past," Rivera said. "We need to instill some confidence in our players and show them that the rewards are worth the hard work necessary for them to become better student-athletes."
Rivera prepped at Wells High School in Chicago and was an All-Section player in the Red-West. He spent his collegiate years at Northern Illinois University and was a walk-on member of the 1975-1976 men's basketball team under coach Emory Luck.
For more information on Triton College Athletics, visit www.triton.edu/athletics or call Athletic Director Harry McGinnis at (708) 456-0300, Ext. 3784.
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