Women's Basketball Coaching Staff

Head Coach Cheryl Rice

 

 

Career Highlights

 

• Career record of 169-85 at CF

• 3-time Mid-Florida Conference Coach of the Year

• Eight FCCAA State Tournament appearances

Career Record

 

Year	Record	Mid-Florida Conference	Postseason
2009-10	19-11	5-4, third place	State quarterfinalist. Lost to Palm Beach 70-62.
2008-09	21-11	9-3, runner-up	State semifinalist. Defeated Hillsborough 80-47; lost to Gulf Coast 89-66
2007-08	20-13	6-6, third place	State runner-up. Defeated Miami-Dade 68-52; defeated Tallahassee 57-47; lost to Gulf Coast 68-45
2006-07	15-15	8-4, champion	State quarterfinalist. Lost to Tallahassee 63-60
2005-06	20-11	9-3, runner-up	State quarterfinalist. Lost to Chipola 75-66
2004-05	25-7	11-1, champion	State semifinalist. Defeated Indian River 88-49; lost to Chipola 57-45
2003-04	25-8	12-0, champion	State runner-up. Defeated Chipola 61-46; defeated Pensacola 62-56; lost to Gulf Coast 64-51
2002-03	24-9	6-2, runner-up	State semifinalist. Defeated Brevard 71-60; lost to Gulf Coast 93-71

 

Biography

 

Ocala native Cheryl Rice enters her ninth season at the College of Central Florida with a career record of 169-85. She has led the Lady Patriots to the FCCAA State Tournament every year of her tenure, twice reaching the state title game, and has led three Mid-Florida Conference championship teams since replacing Jeff Osterman in 2002.

Rice entered coaching after a distinguished playing career at CF and the University of South Alabama. In 1991, Rice was named assistant coach at Okaloosa-Walton Community College, now named Northwest Florida State College. She took over the prestigious program two years later and led the Lady Raiders to consecutive state championships, in 1995 and 1996. Rice returned to South Alabama after the second of her state titles, serving as head coach of the Division I Lady Jaguars from 1996 to 2000. In 2002, Rice accepted an offer to return to her hometown and lead the Lady Patriots.

Rice holds an Associate in Arts degree from CF, bachelor’s and master’s degrees from South Alabama and a Specialist Degree in Educational Leadership from Nova Southeastern University.

Volunteer Assistant Coach Viorica Badinici

 

 

Former Lady Patriots student-athlete Viorica Badinici returns to the CF staff for her second season as a volunteer assistant coach.

Badinici began her playing career in her native Finland, representing the country on its under-18 and women’s national teams and playing seven seasons for Club of Turun Riento. She began her college career at CF in 2003, earning Mid-Florida Conference first-team honors in her lone year with the Lady Patriots, then transferred to the State University of New York at Buffalo, where she played three standout seasons. She has stayed involved in basketball since her playing career, working with the Nike Basketball Camp and Dribble Basketball Clinic in New York City in the summer of 2009.

Badinici holds a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from SUNY at Buffalo and a Master of Science degree in childhood education from Dowling College in Oakdale, N.Y. She is currently a teacher at Forest High School in Ocala.

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