saluki basketball media guide

Transcription

1 in this section... Head Coach Dana Eikenberg Assoc. Head Coach Jody Adams. 24 Assistant Coach Susan Koering.. 25 Assistant Coach Rasheeda Love. 26 Tate Olsen/Rachel Boldt Athletics Director Paul Kowalczyk media guide 21

2 ball DANA EIKENBERG Head Coach Second Season Penn State, 92 Dana Eikenberg knows sacrifices must be made in order to get the Southern Illinois University women s basketball program headed in the right direction. When Eikenberg took over as Southern s head coach a year ago, she inherited several inexperienced players, four scholarship offers and nearly a handful of University of Missouri-Kansas City transfers, who willingly sat the season out and paid their own tuition, as per NCAA regulations. After opting to save her scholarships for the next year, and with her transfers watching from the sidelines, Eikenberg s Salukis played the entire season with only eight players. Now, entering her second year at SIU, the expectations appear to be higher for Eikenberg and her staff, who have used a strong recruiting class to assemble a young and talented 12-member roster. Due to the fact there are so many new faces on this year s team, Eikenberg quickly sought after an opportunity that would allow her inexperienced squad to get to know each other both on and off the court. Since NCAA regulations permit a team to practice 10 days leading up to a foreign trip, Eikenberg decided to take her Salukis on a three-day Canadian tour (Sept. 2-5) to get a jumpstart on the season. While in Canada, SIU posted three exhibition wins, and as a result, returned to the United States full of confidence. Throw in the fact that Eikenberg led SIU to a No. 22 ranking on the Women s Basketball Coaches Association NCAA Division I Academic Top-25 Team Honor Roll -- the first time in school history that the Salukis garnered the honor -- and you can say things are looking up in Saluki women s basketball. Eikenberg became the seventh head coach in the program s 46-year history on April 20, In her SIU debut a year ago, the Salukis went 3-24 and finished last in the Missouri Valley Conference with a 1-17 mark. Prior to taking over the Saluki helm, Eikenberg revitalized the women s basketball program at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. In , she inherited a team with four ineligible e players that posted a 2-25 record. Two years later, the team recorded a mark, its first.500 season in 10 years, and finished tied for second-place in the Mid-Continent Conference. Eikenberg then polished off her four-year UMKC stint with an overall record and another second-place MCC finish. With increased success came increased interest in the UMKC program. In her first season, the program drew 1,739 fans for 13 home dates. With Eikenberg at the helm, that figure grew each season to a total of 7,430 in Off the court, Eikenberg pushes her players to achieve academic success. During four seasons at UMKC and one at SIU ( GPA), her teams registered at least a cumulative grade point average. Before accepting her first head coaching position at UMKC, Eikenberg served as an assistant coach at the University of Iowa ( ). She organized Iowa s national recruiting strategy and helped lead the Hawkeyes to a Big Ten Championship in Eikenberg became familiar with the MVC throughout out the early stages of her coaching career as well. From , she was an assistant coach at Indiana State, where she coached the perimeter players and recruited the 1997 MVC Newcomer of the Year (Amy Amstutz) media guide

3 Before her stint with the Sycamores, she was a restricted earnings coach at the University of Illinois ( ), where she obtained a master s degree in Kinesiology. As a player at Penn State, Eikenberg was a four-year starter at point guard from under nationally respected head coach Rene Portland. During her career with the Nittany Lions, Eikenberg played on three, consecutive NCAA Tournament teams (1990, 1991 and 1992), while helping the program achieve its first number one national ranking in What they re saying about Eikenberg... She s the total package -- experienced, successful, knowledgeable, a team player, leader, hard worker, organized, articulate and ethical. She exudes confidence and competence and will no doubt restore the pride and tradition of SIU s women s basketball program. -- Saluki Athletics Director Paul Kowalczyk I am thrilled with the enthusiasm Dana has brought to the Saluki program and the commitment she and her staff have made to turning things around. -- Salem High School Coach Janet Holst Dana is a great teacher and motivator, who is committed to getting Saluki women s basketball headed in the right direction. Her excitement and enthusiasm is second to none. -- Belleville East High School Coach Keith Padgett She s already brought so much attention to the program. She s energetic, intense, and has put together a great staff which has the ability to turn the Saluki program around. -- Mt. Vernon High School Coach Sara Rennie After graduating from Penn State with a bachelor s degree in Communications in 1992, Eikenberg spent one season playing professionally in Germany. Year-by-Year Records Year School Overall Conf./Fin UMKC /9th UMKC /9th UMKC /t2nd UMKC /2nd Southern Illinois /10th UMKC Totals SIU Totals Career Record (yrs.) (5) Eikenberg Up Close Education Penn State University Bachelor of Arts in Communications, 1992 University of Illinois Master of Science in Kinesiology, 1995 College Coaching Experience Graduate Assistant, University of Illinois ( ) Assistant Coach, Indiana State University ( ) Assistant Coach, University of Iowa ( ) Head Coach, University of Missouri-Kansas City ( ) Head Coach, Southern Illinois University (2005-present) Playing Experience Four-year starting point guard at Penn State ( ) Appeared in 1990, 1991 and 1992 NCAA Tournaments Helped lead Nittany Lions to first-ever national No. 1 ranking (1991) Point guard for SSC Karlsruhe, a professional women s team in Germany ( ) Honors at Penn State Winner of Penn State s Joanie O Brien Award for dedication and team leadership (1989, 1991, 1992) Date of Birth April 8, 1970 Hometown Clinton, Ill media guide 23

4 ball JODY ADAMS Associate Head Coach Second Season Tennessee, 93 Jody Adams enters her second season as Associate Head Coach at Southern Illinois University. She serves as the team s recruiting coordinator and guards coach. Adams, who played a major role in the turnaround of the UMKC women s basketball program, will look to help Eikenberg take the Salukis to the next level in Prior to setting foot on the SIU campus, Adams was named a 2003 AFLAC National Assistant Coach-of-the-Year. Adams recruiting skills were also put to the test at UMKC. In , the Kangaroos only returned three players, and Adams responded by helping UMKC sign some of the best talent in the Kansas City area. Among those recruits was Carlai Moore, who was named to the Mid-Continent Conference All-Freshman Team and earned the league s Sixth Woman-of-the-Year Award. Moore, who transferred to SIU, played alongside Katie Houlehan, a second-team all-conference performer, who Adams also recruited. Adams came to UMKC from the University of Minnesota, where she served as assistant coach from She was the Gophers recruiting coordinator, who oversaw the conditioning programs, coordinated scouting efforts, supervised student-athletes academic progress and was involved in community outreach programs. While at Minnesota, Adams was instrumental in the Gophers signing a Top-5 national recruiting class prior to the campaign. Adams recruits included Lindsay Whalen, who was named to the Big Ten all-freshman team after ranking among the league s top-five in scoring, and was named Big Ten Player-of-the-Year as a sophomore. She currently plays for Connecticut in the WNBA. Before coaching at Minnesota, Adams worked as an assistant coach at Wake Forest University, where she was in charge of scouting and scheduling, and assisted with recruiting. She was also the liaison to the booster club. Adams gained more experience at Auburn, where she worked as an assistant to Joe Ciampi in She was responsible for scouting, developing perimeter players and assisting with practice and game preparation while with the Tigers. Auburn even advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight that year. A 1993 graduate of Tennessee, Adams played four seasons for the Lady Vols under legendary coach Pat Summitt, and was the point guard for three Southeastern Conference Championship teams. The Lady Vols advanced to the NCAA Tournament during each of her four years and captured the NCAA s ultimate prize with a national championship in Adams suffered a knee injury as a senior that allowed her to play only half of the Lady Vols games that year. During her career, Adams averaged 6.7 points and 2.5 rebounds per game, in addition to shooting 81 percent from the free throw line. She was named to the 1992 NCAA Mideast Regional Team and was a two-time SEC all-academic pick. In 2000, Adams and the Volunteers were presented the Espy for team of the decade by ESPN media guide Adams Up Close Education University of Tennessee Bachelor of Arts in Human Performance and Sports Studies, 1993 College Coaching Experience Student Assistant Coach, Tennessee (1993) Assistant Coach, Auburn ( ) Assistant Coach, Wake Forest ( ) Assistant Coach, Minnesota ( ) Associate Head Coach, UMKC ( ) Associate Head Coach, Southern Illinois (2005-present) Playing Experience Three-year starting point guard at Tennessee ( ) Appeared in four NCAA Tournaments ( ) Member of 1991 National Championship team Member of three SEC Champion teams Member of 1991 USA Basketball Junior National Team Participated in 1990 U.S. Olympic Festival Honors at Tennessee Member of all-ncaa Mideast Region Team (1992) Two-time SEC all-academic ( ) Winner of Lady Vols Sixth Person (1990), Unsung Hero (1991, 1993), Hobt Academic Scholarship (1991) and Coach s (1993) Awards Date of Birth December 29, 1970 Hometown Cleveland, Tenn.

5 SUSAN KOERING Assistant Coach Second Season Iowa, 97 S usan Koering sets to begin her second year as an assistant coach at Southern Illinois University. She primarily assists with the post players. A native of Stanwood, Iowa, Koering came to SIU from UMKC, where she coached for four seasons. While at UMKC, Koering was key in helping develop an inexperienced Kangaroo frontcourt in As Dana Eikenberg will attest, one of Koering s major strengths is her ability to motivate different types of people. Susan has made a great impact on many people to help them to be their best individually, which led to our team s success at UMKC, said Eikenberg. Prior to her UMKC stint, Koering served as a graduate assistant at Ashland (Ohio) University from She handled all aspects of team travel, film exchange and academic counseling for the Eagles. Koering also assisted in the areas of recruiting and scouting, while serving as the team s liaison to the booster club. As an undergraduate, Koering attended the University of Iowa, where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Secondary History Education in While at Iowa, she earned several honors, including the Iowa Board of Control of Athletics Academic Award in and Koering was also named Big Ten Conference scholar-athlete on two occasions. Additionally, she was the 1997 winner of the Kris Rogers Memorial Scholarship and was a four-year member of the dean s list. Koering has also been a camps instructor at Rutgers Education University and was co-coordinator of post player camps University of Iowa across Iowa. Bachelor of Arts in Secondary History She is an active member of Athletes in Action and has Education, 1997 been involved with Big Brothers/Big Sisters. Ashland University Koering Up Close Master of Science in Sport Education, 2000 College Coaching Experience Graduate Assistant Coach, Ashland University ( ) Assistant Coach, UMKC ( ) Assistant Coach, Southern Illinois (2005-present) Playing Experience Four-year letterwinner at University of Iowa ( ) Honors at Iowa Iowa Board of Control of Athletics Academic Award (1996, 1997) Two-time Big Ten Conference scholar-athlete Kris Rogers Memorial Scholarship (1997) Member of Dean s list ( ) Date of Birth March 31, 1975 Hometown Stanwood, Iowa media media guide guide

6 ball RASHEEDA LOVE Assistant Coach Second Season Bradley, 04 Rasheeda Love is in her second year as an assistant with the Southern Illinois University women s basketball program. No stranger to the Missouri Valley Conference, she capped off a two-year career at Bradley University in That year, she led the Braves in both steals (66) and assists (125) en route to making the Valley s All-Defensive Team. A native of Mt. Vernon, Ill., Love played at nearby John A. Logan College before transferring to BU. While at JALC, she averaged 13.6 points, 3.8 assists and 2.7 steals per game as a sophomore. Love also helped the Vols to a NJCAA Region XXIV tournament title and was named a NJCAA Division I third-team All-American. Love s strong Southern Illinois roots make her a natural fit for the college coaching scene, according to Eikenberg. Rasheeda has an unbelievable passion for people, Eikenberg said. She has an electrifying personality, and in regards to recruiting, that will help us tremendously. She s a great addition to our staff because of her Southern Illinois and MVC ties. Love assists in perimeter development, helps with in-state recruiting, oversees travel and handles community involvement. Love Up Close Education Bradley University Bachelor of Science in Family and Consumer Sciences, 2004 John A. Logan Associate of Arts in Science and Secondary Physical Education College Coaching Experience Assistant Coach, Southern Illinois (2005-present) Playing Experience Two-year starting guard at Bradley University ( ) Two-time All-American at John A. Logan (2000, 2001) Honors at Bradley Named to MVC all-defensive Team ( ) Date of Birth March 3, media guide Hometown Mt. Vernon, Ill.

7 TATE OLSEN RACHEL BOLDT Graduate Assistant First Season Oregon State, 05 Student Assistant First Season T ate Olsen enters his first season as a graduate assistant coach for the Southern Illinois University women s basketball program. A native of Medford, Ore., Olsen comes to SIU from Oregon State University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics. As an undergraduate assistant coach last year, Olsen participated in all aspects of the Beaver program, including on-court instruction during practices, film exchange, scouting reports and film editing. He will assume similar duties with the Salukis this season. Prior to coaching, Olsen completed an internship at Beaver Sports Properties, where he created/assembled promotional materials, handled copywriting for live radio and produced radio coaches shows, among other duties. R achel Boldt is in her first year as a student assistant coach on the Saluki staff. Boldt, who hails from Mt. Vernon, Ill., transferred to SIU after initially signing a national letter of intent with UMKC. After a series of knee injuries cut her playing career short, Boldt joined the Saluki staff as a student assistant in August. We are looking for Rachel to be a valuable piece of our coaching staff, said head coach Dana Eikenberg. I m glad she s made the choice to be part of our staff. There s not a greater person with a bigger Saluki heart than Rachel media guide 27

8 athletics director Paul Kowalczyk ball Under the direction of Paul Kowalczyk, Saluki athletics is enjoying unprecedented success on and off the field. Winning teams, facility improvements and financial stability are hallmarks of the Kowalczyk era, which began in the summer of The 47-year-old Ohio native has changed the culture of Saluki athletics, emphasizing customer service, teamwork and sound business practices. The end result Saluki Pride has never been stronger. Faced with a host of challenges such as underperforming revenue sports and deteriorating facilities, Kowalczyk quickly developed a plan when he took charge five years ago. The results are amazing. Winning is now commonplace. The department is on solid financial footing, and major facility improvements have taken place and more are planned. The football team is coming off back-to-back Gateway Conference championships and spent 10-straight weeks ranked #1 in the nation in The success on the gridiron is no accident. Kowalczyk s first hire was the relatively unknown Jerry Kill, who has rebuilt the football program into a national powerhouse and won national coach-of-the-year honors along the way. Facility improvements for football include a new AstroPlay turf surface, new stadium lights and a renovated locker room. A spacious 7,500-square foot weightroom will open in August. A remarkable turnaround has also taken place in the men s basketball program under Kowalczyk, who has been adept at hiring the right coach at the right time media guide Now led by its third head coach in three years, the Salukis have nonetheless maintained consistency on the court, winning four-straight Missouri Valley Conference championships and earning four-straight at-large bids to the NCAA Tournament in 2002, 2003, 2004 and The 2002 club advanced to the Sweet 16, gaining unprecedented national media exposure. The 2004 squad rose to #15 in the national polls, the highest in school history. An energized fan base is one of the outgrowths of the basketball program s success. Six sell-outs have taken place at SIU Arena in the last four years, including three in a row to end the 2004 season. Olympic sports have also flourished under Kowalczyk. For example, the softball team has advanced to the NCAA Tournament three years in a row. In the MVC all-sports trophy race, the Salukis finished second, their best showing 10 years. While many state universities are struggling to make ends meet in the wake of budget cuts, the Salukis are prospering, thanks to increased ticket sales and marketing opportunities, plus fiscal responsibility. Kowalczyk recognized the need for a fund-raising mechanism to defray scholarship costs, as well as reward the department s valued supporters. Thus, the new Saluki Athletic Scholarship Fund was born in The SASF has been a huge success, already topping $500,000 annually in scholarship money. Facility improvements are yet another major focus of Kowalczyk s administration, and new structures have been erected or are on the way. Softball s Charlotte West Stadium, a state-of-the-art facility, opened in the spring of 2003 and has already hosted one Missouri Valley Conference championship. Thanks to a generous gift from alumnus Pete Wittmann, a new $3.4 million academic and training center will open this fall. Success off the field is equally important to Kowalczyk, who is committed to supporting academic and community service programs for student-athletes. During his tenure, student-athletes have outperformed the general student body in the classroom. Last year, 51 athletes earned academic all-conference honors, and four were named Academic All-American. Kowalczyk came to SIU from Northwestern University, where he was an integral part of the school s rise to success in the early 90s. He began in 1991 as the business manager in charge of finance and personnel, and was promoted four years later to associate athletic director for external affairs. Prior to Northwestern, Kowalczyk spent three years at Kansas State as assistant athletic director for business operations. He began his career in athletics in 1986, working at his alma mater, Kent State, while earning a master s degree. He then accepted a position as business manager for athletics at Portland State. Kowalczyk holds a bachelor s of business administration in accounting and a master s in sports administration from Kent State. He and his wife, Peg, reside in Carbondale.