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Tommy Dempsey has recorded 58 wins in his three years as the Rider University head coach, the most wins in program history over a three year period.

Last season Dempsey, who now owns the team record for wins in a season at three different colleges, led Rider to postseason play for the second consecutive season in the CollegeBasketballInsider.com Tournament, produced another Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association All-Met selection (Ryan Thompson) and produced another Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference All-Rookie Team member (Novar Gadson).

In 2008 Dempsey was named MAAC Coach of the Year and was also honored with the Peter A. Carlisimo Award as the Division I Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association Coach of the Year.

Dempsey took a team with eight wins in 2006 and led it to 16 wins in 2007 and to a program-best 23 wins in 2008. In six seasons as a college head coach Dempsey has compiled an overall record of 146-51 (.769).

On an interim basis, Dempsey returned to the head coaching ranks in 2005-06, where he had experienced nothing but success in the past. That year the Broncs had four freshmen and a sophomore among the top eight players on the team and produced an All-MAAC selection (Jason Thompson) and a MAAC All-Rookie Team member (Lamar Johnson).

In 2006-07, his first full year as the head coach, Dempsey's team doubled its win total from the previous season and was the only Division I team in New Jersey (out of eight) to finish with a winning record. It was Rider's sixth winning season in eight years. His first squad as the head coach produced a first team All-MAAC selection and MAAC Defensive Player of the Year (Thompson).

In 2007-08 Dempsey's team earned the first postseason berth for Rider in ten years when the Broncs competed in the inaugural College Basketball Invitational tournament, losing at Old Dominion 68-65. The 2007-08 Broncs were one of the most celebrated teams in program history, winning a MAAC regular season championship, establishing a program-best 23 wins and culminating with Jason Thompson becoming the 12th pick by the Sacramento Kings in the NBA draft.

As a head coach prior to Rider, Dempsey took two different institutions to the NJCAA Final Four, including a trip to the National Championship game in 2003. In three years as head coach on the junior college level, Dempsey compiled an 88-12 record including a perfect 46-0 record at home and was twice a finalist for National Coach of the Year honors.

At Lackawanna College, Dempsey reached the Division II National Title Game in 2003 and was the Region 19 and District 9 Coach of the Year, taking a team that was not in the preseason top 40 and finishing National Runner-Up with a school-record 33 wins.

Dempsey spent the 2000-01 and 2001-02 seasons at Keystone College. He was named the Eastern Pennsylvania Collegiate Conference Coach of the Year in 2001 after taking over an 11-12 team and winning 26 games and a conference championship in his first season. In 2001-02 Dempsey's team again won the conference championship, with Dempsey earning Region 19 and District 6 Coach of the Year honors while leading Keystone to the NJCAA Division III Final four and a team-record 29 wins. Dempsey left Keystone after compiling a 55-8 record in two seasons.

Dempsey began his head coaching career at age 24 at Wyoming Seminary Preparatory School in Kingston, Pa., in 1999. Dempsey is a former assistant coach to Frank Marcinek at Susquehanna University where he was a former player. Dempsey was a three-year letter-winner in basketball and team captain in 1996-97 at Susquehanna.

Dempsey received his bachelor's degree from Susquehanna University and master's degree from Bloomsburg University. Dempsey came to Rider from Scranton, Pa. with his wife Amy and children Tommy (9), Emily (8) Brian (2) and Tyler (infant). He currently resides in Langhorne, Pa.

                  

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