A former Pfeiffer women's basketball standout who ranks among the top 10 in several statistic categories in the history of the program gets her first chance as a college head women's basketball coach.
Christina Harvey, who played for Pfeiffer between 2009-2013, was named recently as the new head coach at the University of Lynchburg.
Harvey ranks seventh all-time at Pfeiffer in points scored with 1,200, ninth all-time in field goals made (453), sixth in career field-goal percentage (.527), seventh in made free throws (281) and eighth in total rebounds (683).
She was named to the Conference Carolinas All-Tournament and NCAA Div. II Southeast Region All-Tournament Team in 2012-13.
Harvey played four years for Jill Thomas at Pfeiffer and coached with Thomas for five seasons at Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas.
"I got to spend four years playing for Coach Thomas and five years being an assistant with her. I loved my four years at Pfeiffer and what she instilled in her players, so I already knew the standard and culture of her program. It really aligned with what I like and what I want in a program," Harvey said.
Regarding her coaching philosophy, Harvey said, "the relationship piece is huge for me. I learned from Coach Thomas that it's not just about the four years you play; basketball ends one day. She coached us hard and pushed us to be the best basketball players, people, and student-athletes we could be, but she really cared about you as a person and created a true family atmosphere. That's one of the most important things I'm taking with me."
Harvey was among the top post players in the history of the women's basketball program at Pfeiffer, but in her case, playing in the middle was new to her.
"The funny thing is, I wasn't a full-time post player until I got to Pfeiffer. I kind of changed into that position there, and that experience, combined with my coaching, gives me a different perspective that a lot of post players don't usually get," Harvey said.
Being a head coach who formerly played in the post gives Harvey a unique perspective of the game.
"So many programs are guard-heavy, and a lot of post kids tell me they just want somebody who can really work with them in the post," Harvey said. "I'm excited to give our post players that kind of attention, confidence, and true skill development they might not have had before, while still staying versatile working with both guards and posts."
Harvey said she was grateful to join Lynchburg, a Div. III school in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference.
"Lynchburg is an amazing university. The student-athlete piece is huge — our kids can get a degree that really matters — and we play in one of the top conferences in Division III," Harvey said.
"I'm looking forward to building relationships with our players and helping them grow on the court, in the classroom and in the community. I don't just want them to earn a degree; I want to win a lot of basketball games at the same time."
