Coaching Staff

Bill Strand
Assistant Men's Basketball Coach

Following a 17-year head coaching career with the Windham High School boys’ basketball program, Bill Strand returned to the program for his second stint in 2013/14 as an assistant basketball coach. Strand replaced Kris Johnson, who was named head boys’ basketball coach at Lawrence Academy (Groton, MA) after a four-year playing and four-year coaching career at Eastern.

“We are fortunate to have someone with so much knowledge and experience,” says head coach Bill Geitner of Strand. “He gives us a different perspective than what we’ve had in the past. I’ve been excited to have him back on the staff.”

A Willimantic native, Strand previously served as an assistant coach for five seasons during the final seasons of under E-Club Hall of Fame coach Dan Switchenko’s tenure between 1989 and 1994. In that time, Strand helped the Warriors to three post-season tournament berths – including their first two in the NCAA – and to their first Little East Conference post-season championship.

A 1975 Windham High graduate, Strand won over 200 games and captured five divisional titles with the Whippets. Strand served two seasons as assistant coach at Windham under Neal Curland before taking over at his alma mater.

Strand is a 1979 graduate of Plymouth State University, where he played basketball and earned a B.S. Degree in Physical Education. Strand has coached Physical Education in the Windham Public Schools system since 1985.

Strand and wife Jen reside in Norwich.

Bill Roveto
Assistant Men's Basketball Coach

Bill Roveto, a four-year member of the Eastern basketball and baseball programs, returns to thestaff of head coach Bill Geitner for the fifth year.

"Coach Roveto is starting to take over more responsibilities," says Geitner, "and having come up through the program, can speak with the (first-year) forwards about his experiences."

As an aspiring college basketball coach, Roveto started all 60 games in which he appeared -- missing only one -- over the last two seasons of his basketball career in helping the Warriors to 20 wins and the top seed in the ECAC Division III New England Tournament each year, and a combined overall record of 41-20.

The three-year starter and two-time team captain averaged 4.4 points and 4.1 rebounds in his 108-game career under Geitner, with a shooting percentage of 47.9 (he shot well over 50 per cent as both a sophomore and junior). As a senior, he helped the Warriors tie the previous program season record of 21 wins and reach the championship game of the Little East Conference tournament.

At Eastern, the South Windsor native was also a three-year varsity baseball letterwinner as a left-handed relief pitcher. In his career, the Warriors qualfied for the NCAA Division III tournament each season and won two Little East Conference regular season and an LEC tournament title

Roverto holds a B.A. Degree in Political Science.