Bernie Driscoll completed his ninth season as head coach of the men’s basketball team at Kutztown University.

The 2008-09 season has already been tabbed the best men's basketball season in school history. Coach Driscoll, named the PSAC East Coach of the Year for the second time in his career, led the Golden Bears to the PSAC final and the NCAA Division II Atlantic Region final.

With 28 wins, the Golden Bears won more games than any other team in school history. KU also won a school record 13 PSAC East games and four postseason games, two in the PSAC tournament and another two in the NCAA Division II tournament. The two NCAA tournament wins were program firsts.

The PSAC East title was the program's first outright since 1987-88. It's the second straight PSAC East crown as KU earned a share of the title in 2007-08 with Cheyney, finishing 10-2 in the division.

Driscoll's 82-76 win over Cheyney at Keystone Hall on Feb. 25 moved him past Walt Risley for most coaching wins in school history. Driscoll now owns a record of 142-110 and 61-49 in the PSAC East.

Following a two-year rebuilding process, he has posted a 131-70 mark the last seven seasons. Driscoll has led the Golden Bears to seven straight winning seasons and a program record seven-straight PSAC playoff appearances, the second longest active streak in the PSAC behind Edinboro, which made the playoffs for the eighth straight season in 2008-09.

KU hosted its third PSAC playoff game last season and picked up its first win at home in the playoffs with a 98-87 win over Mansfield. The win capped a 15-0 season at Keystone Hall, the first team in the modern era to go undefeated at home.

In 2005-06, Kutztown finished with a 16-12 overall record, including a 7-5 mark in the PSAC East. The team advanced to the conference quarterfinals. In 2004-05, the team was 15-12 overall, also advancing to the quarterfinals. KU was ranked as high as 17th in the nation. The 2003-04 season was one of the best in the program’s history. The Golden Bears finished 18-11 overall, including 7-5 in the PSAC East. KU reached the PSAC title game for the first time in 16 years. In 2002-03, Driscoll’s club had a remarkable turnaround and he earned PSAC East Coach of the Year honors. After winning a combined 11 games in two years, the Golden Bears went 18-10 overall, and 8-4 in the PSAC East. The squad made its first PSAC playoff appearance since 1999, winning the second-most games in school history.

Driscoll came to Kutztown from West Chester, where he served as the top assistant coach from 1987-2000. In his final three seasons there, the Golden Rams won two PSAC East titles, and received two bids to the NCAA Tournament. WCU produced a string of three straight 20-win seasons, and appeared in the PSAC Final Four each of those three years. In addition, Driscoll was a key factor in the academic success of the Golden Ram basketball program, which boasted a 98 percent graduation rate for its players.

Driscoll, 54, received a bachelor’s degree in biology from Dickinson College, Carlisle, Pa., in 1977. While at Dickinson, he participated in varsity football and baseball and still holds most of the career receiving records at the school. He received a master’s degree in education from St. Joseph’s University, Philadelphia, in 1988.

Driscoll and his wife, Liz, have three children — daughters, Maureen (25) and Kelly (23), and son, Ricky (21).