The Binghamton University Athletics Department announced Wednesday that associate head coach Nicole Scholl will replace Rich Conover as head coach of the BU women’s basketball team. Conover will be reassigned to an administrative position that has yet to be determined.

The decision comes more than six weeks after Conover’s squad squandered a nine-point halftime lead to Albany in the first round America East Tournament.

“I’m looking forward instead of backward,” said BU Director of Athletics Joel Thirer according to Thursday’s Press & Sun-Bulletin. “It became clear to me that this was the right decision to make.”

Scholl, who has been a member of Binghamton’s staff for nine seasons, will take over for the coming season and then a national search will follow.

“It’s been very exciting,” Scholl said. “I’m just thrilled with the opportunity that they have given to me. I’m looking at it as a positive experience.”

Before coming to BU, Scholl served on the coaching staff of North Dakota State, where she helped lead the Bisons to a pair of National Championship appearances. The job will be Scholl’s first as a head coach.

“Obviously it’s going to be different and new,” she said. “It’s just an exciting time. Anytime there’s change it’s an exciting time.”

Scholl said she met with the team’s returning players and that the team is ready for next year.

“Hopefully I can offer a different type of energy,” Scholl said. “The feedback from the players is that they’re excited.”

Scholl said she has been in contact with recruits and added that there will be more news on that in the coming weeks.

Conover will remain under his contract, which guarantees him $104,000 a year for three years. Scholl said the details of her one-year deal have not been worked out yet.

Conover has been at BU since 1999, where he started as an assistant coach under Laurie Kelly. In 2002 he was named interim head coach after Kelly left on maternity leave and then kept the job after she left to take the head coaching position at Northern Arizona.

In his first full season, Conover led the Bearcats to second place in the AE and was named Coach of the Year. He has compiled a career record of 67-78. In his final season, Conover’s Bearcats finished with an 11-19 record and in fifth place, after being selected to finish fifth in the pre-season poll.

Thirer told the Press & Sun that last season’s results were only part of the reason for letting Conover go.

“We’ve got the best facility in the league,” Thirer said. “We’re funded near the top of the league, and better than most. We’re fully scholarshiped, fully staffed. You can say this about any of our sports across the board — we should be competitive relative to how we’re funded within the league.”

Last season, men’s basketball head coach Al Walker was reassigned to an administrative post after being replaced by Kevin Broadus. Walker currently works as a scout for the Orlando Magic.