BROOKLYN, N.Y. – LIU Brooklyn women's basketball head coach Stephanie Oliver announced the addition of a pair of assistant coaches to her staff. Tim Gardner and Heather Zurich will join the Blackbirds for the 2015-16 season.
 
Gardner joins the LIU staff after a season as an assistant coach at Iona College. In his time with the Gaels, Gardner was tasked with developing guard play, including that of 2014-15 MAAC Player of the Year Damika Martinez. He also spent time as the Director of Basketball Operations at both Seton Hall and Iona, along with six seasons as the top assistant at Kean University.
 
"I am very excited to welcome Tim Gardner to our coaching staff at LIU," Oliver said. "I had the pleasure of working with Tim for one season at Seton Hall. He has a tremendous basketball mind that will be an incredible asset to our program on and off the court."
 
Zurich, a New Jersey native, returns to the east coast after spending four seasons as an assistant coach at UC Santa Barbara. No stranger to the Northeast Conference, she began her coaching career at Wagner, where she spent one season, working primarily on post player development. Zurich joined the Seahawks' staff after a professional playing career in the Netherlands, which followed a standout career at Rutgers under legendary Hall of Fame head coach C. Vivian Stringer.
 
"I am thrilled to welcome Heather Zurich to our coaching staff," Oliver said. "Heather is very well-respected in this region's basketball community, with successful playing experience at Pascack Valley High School and Rutgers University. Her bi-coastal experience will be a great help to us as she leads our recruiting efforts."