Rick Albro joined the Bronco women’s basketball program as an assistant coach in October, 2015. Albro brings over 40 years of coaching to Kalamazoo and over 450 career wins in his time as a high school and collegiate coach.
His primary responsibilities at WMU include individual skill development and defensive game planning. He will also have an active role in recruiting, academics, and day-to-day operations.
Albro and WMU head coach Shane Clipfell worked together while both assistants at Michigan State, prior to Clipfell taking the head position at Western Michigan in April, 2012.
Albro was on the Detroit Titans women’s basketball staff last season and prior to that spent four years (2009-13) as an athletic director at Northview High School in Grand Rapids, Mich., the last three of which he coached the girls basketball program.
Albro’s other collegiate coaching stops include an assistant position with Michigan State women’s basketball (2007-10) and an assistant men’s role at Cleveland State (2003-06). He spent 1990 through 2003 as the head men’s basketball coach at Aquinas College, where he left the program holding the record for most overall wins. Albro has also been a head coach at a number of high schools.
During Albro’s stretch with the Spartans, MSU put together three-straight 20-win campaigns, a WNIT runner-up effort and two NCAA Tournament appearances with a Sweet 16 run in 2009. Albro was the academic liaison and assisted with opponent scouting and game planning. He worked with post players and tutored the development of All-American Allyssa DeHaan.
As the head coach at Aquinas College, Albro was the Wolverine Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) Coach of the Year after setting a then school record with a 23-10 mark in 1999-2000, and twice earned NAIA District Coach of the Year honors. He also served as the school’s sports information director, handling all the publicity for the Saints’ athletic program.
Albro has been a head coach at a number of high schools including the boy’s team at Grandville (2006-07) and East Grand Rapids (1978-90), where he also led the girl’s squad for three seasons (1983, 1987-88). At East Grand Rapids, the boy’s program won four conference, six district and three regional titles, and a made trip to the state tournament semifinals.
Albro has a history of developing players, including among his East High graduates are Garde Thompson, who went on to star at Michigan, and Jim Boylen, who played at Maine before starting an NBA coaching career, which included two NBA championships with the Houston Rockets.
In addition to his coaching duties, Albro worked for 15 years (1988-2003) for the Michigan Camp of Champions. He was the founder of the residential basketball camps for high school boys and girls, attended by more than 4,000 athletes. He has also worked and been hired as a basketball clinician at several prestigious camps throughout his career, including the Michigan State Basketball Camp and the Five Star Camp in Pittsburgh, Pa.
Albro’s coaching career began at St. Charles (Mich.) High School, where he served as the head golf coach and JV basketball coach for three years and the athletic director for two years. He then moved on to Marlette (Mich.) High School, coaching the boys’ varsity basketball team from 1974-78 in addition to being the athletic director for three years.
Albro graduated from Western Michigan in 1971 with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and earned his master’s degree in Education Administration from Central Michigan in 1985.
