CALIFORNIA, Pa. -- California University of Pennsylvania President Angelo Armenti, Jr. has named former Rock standout Heather Kearney as the school’s new head women’s basketball coach.

She succeeds Darcie Vincent, who served as SRU's head coach from 1997-2000 before accepting the head coaching position at California.

Vincent was recently named as head coach at NCAA Division I Appalachian State University.

Kearney served the last four seasons as the Vulcans' associate head coach under Vincent after serving the previous four seasons as assistant coach. She also served as Vincent's graduate assistant at SRU during the 1999-2000 season and helped lead the Green and White to the Division II East Regional championship.

Since 2000-2001, Cal U women’s basketball had appeared in eight consecutive PSAC championship games, made seven consecutive NCAA Division II Tournament appearances, won six PSAC-West titles, won 26 or more games fives times, won four conference crowns, made three NCAA “Elite Eight” appearances two NCAA Final Four showings and the 2004 NCAA Division II National Championship.

Originally from Harrisville, Pa., Kearney began developing her 'coaching mind,' as a captain and leader of the Slippery Rock University women's basketball team from 1995-1999. She had the opportunity to learn under Vincent as a player, and then joined her staff upon graduation. She helped Slippery Rock’s1999-2000 team win the NCAA Division II East Regional championship.

She earned her bachelor’s degree in sport management in 1999 and a master’s degree in Counseling from SRU in 2003.

As a player, Kearney received Kodak All-America honors her senior year and was the 1996 PSAC-West Rookie of the Year. She remains Slippery Rock’s career-leading scorer with 1,760 career points and is second in career rebounding with 949 total boards.