St. Bonaventure

A successful student-athlete and coach, Mary Jane “M.J.” Telford is synonymous with St. Bonaventure women’s basketball.

A four-year starter from 1971-1975, she averaged 15 points per game throughout her career. She was chosen “Ideal Bonaventure Student” runner-up at graduation, the first woman to be so honored. Telford then took over as head coach of the program and, over the next 10 years, guided the Lady Bonnies from NAIA Division III to NCAA Division II and then into Division I in the Atlantic 10 Conference.

Under her tutelage, partial scholarships were awarded for the first time in 1977. In 1986, she led SBU to the Upstate Conference title and was named the league’s Coach of the Year. Telford served the Bonnies as head coach through 1993 and totaled 201 victories over her career, which at the time of her induction was the top figure in the program’s history and ranked second among all St. Bonaventure basketball coaches, men or women. She coached five SBU Athletics Hall of Fame players. All told, Telford represented St. Bonaventure as an employee for more than 30 years, also working in Admissions and University Relations.