On July 1, 2018, Rider University Women’s Basketball Head Coach Lynn Milligan announced the addition of Steven Harney as an assistant coach to the Bronc staff for the 2018-19 campaign.
In 2020-21, the Broncs advaned to the semifinals of the MAAC Tournament, topping 10th-seeded Monmouth, and second-seeded Quinnipiac in Atlantic City. Makayla Firebaugh led the individual awards season for the team, being named MAAC Co-Rookie of the Year and Second-Team All-Met.
2019-20 was arguably the Broncs finest in program history. Harney helped lead Rider to its first-ever MAAC Regular Season Championship. The top-seeded Broncs advanced past Niagara in the MAAC Quarterfinals before the remainder of the tournament was canceled due to COVID-19. Rider posted an 18-2 league mark, with 18 wins being the most for the team in league play in program history. Rider went 26-4 overall and the 26 wins are the most since the Broncs joined Division I following the 1981-82 season. The Broncs were consistently ranked in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top-25 poll, spending the final two months inside the top-12.
With team success came individual accolades and opportunity. Stella Johnson earned her second consecutive MAAC Player of the Year honor, becoming the sixth player all-time to achieve the feat in back-to-back years. She became Rider's first-ever All-American, earning honorable mention recognition from the Associated Press, Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) and United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA), while also was picked a Senior CLASS Award Second-Team All-American. Johnson was also a finalist for both the Nancy Lieberman Award and Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year and finished the year as the leading scorer in NCAA Division I at 24.8 points per game, more than a point ahead of the next-closest player. She was also the only active Division I player with 2,000 career points, 700 career rebounds, 400 career assists and 300 career steals. In addition, Johnson was named the ECAC and Met Division I Women's Basketball Player of the Year. The list of honors continued with Johnson's second-straight Rider Female Athlete of the Year and MAAC Female Student-Athlete of the Year honors, while becoming one of two MAAC nominees for NCAA Woman of the Year. Johnson's resume drew the attention of the WNBA, as she was the 29th overall selection in the WNBA Draft by the Phoenix Mercury, before making her WNBA debut for the Chicago Sky and later making a strong impact with the Washington Mystics in her rookie season.
Joining Stella Johnson in earning a MAAC major award was Amari Johnson, the league's Defensive Player of the Year. Amari also earned All-MAAC Second Team honors, along with fellow senior Lea Favre. Milligan also oversaw a strong performance in the classroom, with seven Broncs earning MAAC All-Academic Team recognition.
It was another banner year for the Broncs in 2018-19 as Rider finished the season with a 19-13 overall record and a 14-4 record in the MAAC. Rider earned the league’s automatic bid to the WNIT. It marked the second time in program history and the second time in the last three years that the team appeared in the WNIT. The Broncs won 10 or more MAAC games for the third year in a row (first time in program history 10 or more MAAC wins three straight years). The 14 MAAC wins are the most in program history in an 18-game conference schedule and the second-most in Rider history.
Three Broncs earned All-MAAC honors, highlighted by Stella Johnson being the only player in the league to be a unanimous selection to the First Team. Stella was also tabbed as the MAAC Player of the Year. It was the second time in program history that the team had a student-athlete recognized as the league’s best player.
“Character, work ethic and loyalty are non-negotiables when choosing an assistant coach,” Milligan said. “We are thrilled to add Steven to our staff. He is the perfect match for our program. Steven brings a new perspective to the program and has the experience we were looking for to help take the program to the next level.”
Harney comes to Rider after a two-year stint at Dartmouth College of the Ivy League. With the Big Green, he was responsible for post-player development, scouting, recruiting and he also served as the Elite Pines director, among other duties. Last season at Dartmouth, the team won its most games (15) since 2008-09 and the Big Green won seven conference games for just the third time in the last decade.
“Thank you to Coach Milligan and the rest of the coaching staff, athletic department and academic community for welcoming me with open arms to Rider University,” Harney said. “I am thrilled to join a family that is passionate about Bronc basketball and the academic opportunity Rider University offers its students. It is clear to anyone who visits that there is something very special happening here.”
Prior to Dartmouth, he served as an assistant coach for two seasons at Allegheny College. Before Allegany, Harney served as girl’s basketball head coach at The Stony Brook School in Stony Brook, New York, a position he held from June 2011 to May 2014. While at The Stony Brook School, Harney earned the Marvin W. Goldberg Coaches’ Award in 2013, while additionally earning Class C and Leave VIII Coach of the Year awards the same year. Harney’s coaching plaudits came as a result of Stony Brook’s Suffolk County and League VIII Championship in 2013.
During his time at The Stony Brook School, Harney also served as the strength & conditioning coach from August 2013 to May 2014, implementing strength-training programs for the football and girl’s basketball programs, while helping more than 50 student-athletes improve their athletic performance.
Off the court, Harney worked as a Social Media & Online Community Director at Keeping Current Matters in Ronkonkoma, New York, where he launched the company’s social media department, overseeing published content while implementing strategies for the company’s Facebook and Twitter presence.
Harney is a member of both the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) and the National Strength & Conditioning Association (NSCA) and is a 2009 graduate of Dickinson College.
