Shannon Bush plans to spend the next few months meeting her players individually and building bonds.

Shannon Bush was early in her 19-year career as an assistant coach when she received important advice from a mentor.

Whenever she had a bad day, she should write down the place where she wanted her coaching journey to take her. Then she should maintain that vision each day through thick and thin.

She wrote down three names — Colgate being one of them.

On Tuesday, many years and many miles later, Bush was introduced as the new head coach of Colgate Women’s Basketball.

“To be sitting here in front of you is a full circle moment,” Bush said. “What I can guarantee you is there will not be a single day when I don’t take the job for granted.

“To say that this is a dream come true would understate what this moment means to me.”

Bush was announced as the program’s new head coach on April 14. Days later, she was on campus, meeting her team and the Colgate community.

One question she was often asked was why she chose Colgate.

“The simple version is, I wanted to be part of a place that represents both the best in athletics and academics,” she said. “Colgate exemplifies that in every single way. As a former Patriot League student-athlete, I know Colgate represents and embodies all of the transformational parts of the holistic student-athlete experience.” 

Bush, a native of Doylestown, Pa., played college basketball at Holy Cross, where she got her first look at Colgate. Her first coaching experience came at Sacred Heart, where she worked as an assistant coach from 2006-2010.

She went on to work as an assistant coach at Vermont, Siena, Fresno State, and Cornell before coming to Colgate.

During her meeting with the media on Tuesday, Bush named the people who made an impact on her as a person and coach. It was a lengthy list of colleagues and family members. She also thanked her predecessor, Ganiyat Adeduntan and her staff, for their work in building a strong program.

“We stand on your shoulders,” Bush said. “You set the standards, you raised the bar. And everything we do moving forward will be in part because of what you started here at Colgate Women’s Basketball. I’m walking into a remarkable group of young women, and I owe that to you.”

Bush also had a message for her team.

“You didn’t get to choose me, but know that I chose you,” she said. “I have had lots of opportunities throughout my career,” she said. “I was waiting for the absolutely perfect fit and this is it. I am joining their team. I hope to build upon what they have done so far.”

As the spring semester winds down, Bush will be busy forming her coaching staff, recruiting, and preparing for the new season. She also plans to meet with every member of the team and their families. 

Bush said her initial vision of the team is to build on its strong culture. Her priority is to earn the trust of her student-athletes. 

“You can’t coach them until they care,” she said. “That is the biggest thing that I bring to the role. I have to have their trust, and I have to really get to know them. They have to know I have their back 110 percent off the court. I can’t push them to raise the standard on the count until I have that.”