2007-08 L I B E R T Y Carey Green You must be doing something right as a collegiate head women s basketball coach, if a 19-12 season is considered to be a bit of a letdown by many observers. That s just the case for Carey Green, the ninth-year head coach of the Liberty Lady Flames, who has raised the program s standards to an extremely high level. Green has accumulated a 185-64 record on the Liberty bench, good for a winning percentage of.743. He currently ranks 12th among active NCAA Division I women s basketball coaches in winning percentage, ahead of renowned coaching names like LSU s Van Chancellor, North Carolina s Sylvia Hatchell and Ohio State s Jim Foster. More importantly, Liberty has won the Big South Tournament title and advanced to the NCAA Tournament seven times with Green as head coach. Liberty has totaled 23 or more victories during six of those years, including the 2004-05 season, which saw the Lady Flames reach the Sweet 16 for the first time in program history. Green has actually been to the postseason on 19 occasions as a women s basketball coach, a span which includes a dozen years as an assistant coach at Clemson. In all but one of the 19 appearances, he has experienced the NCAA Tournament. Last season, the Lady Flames went 19-12 and tied for second place in the Big South. The season was highlighted by a 75-71 win at Virginia, which made the Lady Flames the first visiting team ever to triumph in the brand-new John Paul Jones Arena. Green also reached a coaching milestone with his 100th career Big South triumph, at home versus Charleston Southern on Feb. 19. Rebounding and defense have always been staples of Green-coached teams, and the 2006-07 Lady Flames were no exception. Liberty outrebounded opponents by an average of 10.6 caroms per game, ranking fifth nationally. The Lady Flames have now been listed among the nation s top five teams in rebounding margin for four-straight years. Liberty led the nation in the category in both 2003-04 and 2004-05 and placed third in 2005-06. The Lady Flames also ended the 2006-07 campaign ranked in the top 25 in the nation for both field goal percentage defense (16th) and scoring defense (23rd). HEAD COACH CAREY GREEN The 2005-06 season represented one of the best coaching jobs of Green s career. The Lady Flames had lost the top four scorers from the Sweet 16 squad to graduation. Moreover, freshman Megan Frazee averaged 18.5 points and 9.8 rebounds per game through the first 14 games of her collegiate career, but was lost for the remainder of the season due to injury. Yet, Liberty was still able to win 25 games, capture its 10th-straight Big South title and earn its 10th-consecutive NCAA Tournament berth. Green s efforts were recognized by both the Big South Conference and the Virginia Sports Information Directors Association (VaSID). Both groups named Green as their women s basketball coach of the year at season s end. It was the third time he has won each of those honors and marked Green s second-straight selection as VaSID Coach of the Year. A key late-season conference victory over High Point in 2006 made Green the winningest coach in Big South Conference history. The previous season, Green had passed Rick Reeves as Liberty s career wins leader. The record-setting victory was just one of the many reasons the 2004-05 year was a special one on Liberty Mountain. A senior-laden Lady Flames team recorded upset wins over No. 4 seed Penn State (78-70) and No. 5 seed DePaul (88-79) in the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament, becoming just the second team ever to advance to the Sweet 16 as a No. 13 seed. The Lady Flames ended the season with their highest national ranking to date, 21st (USA Today/ESPN). Even with all his accolades, Green is not yet satisfied. The native of Louisville, Tenn., located just outside of Knoxville, knows there s work yet to be done with the Lady Flames. We have some tremendous challenges ahead of us and I believe the team will be up to those challenges, Green says. I am pleased with the direction and progress of our program but of course, I, as well as the team, have higher aspirations, goals and expectations. Green ranks12 th among active NCAA Divison1 women s basketball coaches in winning percentage (.743) Green s track record shows he has the ability to meet those challenges. The Lady Flames have recorded two wins over both Virginia and West Virginia and solo victories over No. 19 DePaul, No. 17 Kansas State, No. 25 Penn State, UNLV and Wake Forest during Green s tenure. The upset victory over No. 25 Virginia in 2003 marked Liberty s first win over a Top 25 team. His record against conference foes is equally impressive. He led the Lady Flames on a Big South record 47-game winning streak and currently has a.911 (123-12) winning percentage against conference teams. Green has marched through conference play with one or fewer setbacks five times, while guiding the Lady Flames to two undefeated conference seasons. The Lady Flames have not only gotten the job done on the hardwood under Green s tutelage, but have also excelled in the classroom. Liberty finished the 2006-07 academic year with a 3.508 team grade point average, the seventh-best mark among NCAA Division I women s basketball teams. The Lady Flames were also one of only six teams in the country to feature a pair of ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District first-team selections, as Allyson Fasnacht and Megan Frazee each garnered the honor last season. Last year s academic success was not an isolated incident for the Liberty women s basketball program. The Lady Flames have ranked in the top 25 nationally for team GPA three times during Green s eight seasons at Liberty. Liberty was 13th during his first season (1999-2000) and tied for 14th in 2005-06. When Green came to Liberty, he was faced with a daunting task in his first year as a Division I head coach. Taking over the reins of a program with threeconsecutive conference crowns in its trophy case, Carey & Denise Green 52 2007-08 Liberty Lady Flames Basketball
L A D Y HEAD COACH CAREY GREEN The Lady Flames have won seven Big South titles under Green s guidance Green s role became the hunted rather than the hunter. Beginning with his arrival on June 8, 1999, Green took on the role as the favorite and accomplished what no Big South Conference school had ever done, taking Liberty to its fourth-consecutive NCAA Tournament. Green arrived at Liberty after spending 12 years as an assistant at Clemson. While with the Tigers, Green participated in 11 NCAA Tournaments, making four Sweet 16 appearances and one trip to the Elite Eight, in 1991. The Tigers were ranked in the Top 25 during 10 of his 12 years and averaged 22 wins per season. Green had an immediate impact in his first season, as he helped guide Clemson to the ACC's best turnaround in league history. The Tigers posted a 21-7 record in 1988 after a 7-21 record the previous season. Clemson made five appearances in the ACC Tournament championship game with Green s assistance, winning the title during the 1995-96 and 1998-99 seasons. He helped coach 15 all-conference players, four Kodak District All-Americans and one Kodak All-American. Clemson also recorded 45 wins over Top 25 programs during the 12 seasons Green was stationed at Death Valley. Prior to his days at Clemson, Green was the head men s and women s basketball coach at Jackson State Community College in Jackson, Tenn., for three seasons. In 1986, he was named the Tennessee Junior College Athletic Association Coach of the Year. From 1982 to 1984, Green was the head women s basketball coach at Rockwood High School after serving as the head men s basketball coach at Coalfield High School the previous season. Green got his coaching start as assistant men s and women s basketball coach at Roane State Community College in Harriman, Tenn., from 1979 to 1981. The reason we are here at Liberty is to develop not only a winning tradition at the national level, but champions in all areas of life, Green remarked. I am so excited to observe our players development and achievements. I was thrilled our team s GPA ranked seventh in the nation. This is evidence of our goal to have a whole program, neglecting no area of our players development. My personal goal is a 50-year program, one that develops women of excellence who impact the world for the next 50 years, continued Green. It s exciting because our entire Liberty family assists me with that same goal. The University is growing, as is our basketball program, and I am excited to be here during this growth period. "I hope to fulfill the dream and the vision that Dr. Falwell and our administration have shared with me, Green summarized. They want our University to be THE Division I NCAA Christian University everyone looks toward in the United States. In my opinion, that means we need to be a Top 20 team. In order to do that, I believe we need to continue to find the many quality student-athletes who are out there playing and bring them to our campus. Once they visit our campus, they will experience the excitement and enthusiasm here at Liberty University." Green leaves little doubt that he, his staff and the players will be striving for excellence on and off the basketball court. He and his wife, Denise, reside in the Lynchburg area and have two children, Angie (29) and Brian (26). Angie married Jason Grunkemeyer, an assistant men s basketball coach at Miami (OH) University, in September 2006. Brian is currently working as an engineer at Fluor Corporation, in Greenville, S.C. F L A M E S Carey Green Quick Facts BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION Birthdate: March 31, 1956 Family: Wife, Denise Children: Two children, Angie and Brian Hometown: Louisville, Tenn. High School: Friendsville High School, Friendsville, Tenn.,1974 Associate: Associate s degree, Roane State, 1976 Undergraduate: Bachelor's degree in marine science, Coastal Carolina, 1979 Graduate: Master's degree in science education, Tennessee, 1981 COACHING EXPERIENCE 1979-81: Two years, assistant men s and women s coach, Roane State 1981-82: One year, head men s coach, Coalfield High 1982-84: Two years, head women s coach, Rockwood High 1984-87: Three years, head men s and women s coach, Jackson State 1987-99: 12 years, assistant women s coach, Clemson 1999-Present: Head coach, Liberty Head Collegiate Coaching Record: Eight Years (185-64) HONORS 1986: TJCAA Coach of the Year 1993: Assistant Coach for ACC All-Stars Canadian Tour 1997: Speaker at WBCA Final Four Recruiting Forum 2000: Big South Coach of the Year 2003: Big South Coach of the Year 2003: VaSID Coach of the Year 2005: VaSID Coach of the Year 2006: Big South Coach of the Year 2006: VaSID Coach of the Year 2007: Blount Country (Tenn.) Sports Hall of Fame POSTSEASON APPEARANCES 1988: 21-9, #20 National Ranking, NCAA Tournament 1989: 20-11, #13 National Ranking, NCAA Sweet 16 1990: 22-10, #19 National Ranking, NCAA Sweet 16 1991: 22-11, #8 National Ranking, NCAA Elite 8 1992: 21-10, #19 National Ranking, NCAA Tournament 1993: 19-11, NCAA Tournament 1994: 20-10, #22 National Ranking, NCAA Tournament 1995: 21-11, NWIT Tournament 1996: 23-8, #14 National Ranking, ACC Champions, NCAA Tournament 1997: 19-11, #21 National Ranking, NCAA Tournament 1998: 25-8, #14 National Ranking, NCAA Tournament 1999: 26-5, #13 National Ranking, NCAA Sweet 16 2000: 23-8, Big South Champions, NCAA Tournament 2001: 18-12, Big South Champions, NCAA Tournament 2002: 23-8, Big South Champions, NCAA Tournament 2003: 26-4, Big South Champions, NCAA Tournament 2004: 25-7, Big South Champions, NCAA Tournament 2005: 26-7, Big South Champions, NCAA Sweet 16 2006: 25-6, Big South Champions, NCAA Tournament MEMBERSHIPS Women s Basketball Coaches Association National Association of Basketball Coaches Fellowship of Christian Athletes Adult Chapter LibertyFlames.com 53
2007-08 L I B E R T Y Alexis Sherard - ASSISTANT COACH Alexis Sherard is a new addition to the Lady Flames coaching staff after being hired as an assistant coach in April. He is serving as the team s recruiting coordinator and assists with game strategies and player development. Sherard joined the Lady Flames staff after spending the last two seasons working as an assistant for the Liberty men s basketball team. He also served as the Flames director of recruiting and aided in perimeter development. It s a blessing to be part of the Liberty University women s basketball program, stated Sherard. God has elevated this program using Coach Green as a spiritual and team leader. I am looking forward to working with this staff and the Lady Flames. Sherard came to Liberty after six years of service on Pete Gillen s men s basketball staff at Virginia. Sherard joined the Cavaliers program in 1999 as the director of basketball operations, serving in this capacity from 1999 to 2002, as well as the 2003-04 season. Alexis and Evangeline Sherard and (L to R) Jamea, Elijah, Jai and Iyana ASSISTANT COACHES During the 2002-03 and 2004-05 seasons, Sherard served as an assistant coach, in which capacity he aided in Virginia s recruiting efforts, while assisting in practice planning, game preparation, bench coaching and opponent scouting. Sherard helped guide the Cavaliers to the NCAA Tournament in 2001, as Virginia finished the season with a 20-9 record and was ranked as high as No. 6 in the country. He was also a part of two Cavalier squads which qualified for the NIT Tournament (2000 and 2002). The 2002 squad finished fourth in the event. Sherard got his coaching career started at Saint Michael s College in Colchester, Vt., where he served as an assistant coach from 1993 to 1995, assisting the head coach in practice preparation, skill instruction and recruiting. During the 1995-96 campaign, Sherard served as the head boys varsity basketball coach and Dean of Admissions at Lakewood Prep School in Howell, N.J., where he led his team to a 15-7 record and the semifinals of the playoffs. From 1996-98, Sherard was the administrative assistant at Providence, where he helped guide the Friars to the NIT in 1998 with an 18-12 record and to the Elite Eight round of the 1997 NCAA Tournament, as Providence finished the season with a 24-12 overall record. Prior to joining the staff at Virginia, Sherard served as the assistant coach at Binghamton and was responsible for the Bearcats recruiting efforts throughout the East Coast. Alexis is an outstanding addition to our staff, Green exclaimed. He is a great recruiter because he really cares about the players. He also possesses a thorough knowledge of the game of basketball and he will be a tremendous asset in the development of game strategies. Furthermore, we are most excited about Alexis character and values and welcome him into our program. Sherard graduated with a bachelor s degree in mathematics and education from Saint Michael s in 1993. A member of the Purple Knights basketball team, he was selected to the Northeast 10 Conference All-Defensive team during his junior and senior seasons. Sherard, who received his master s degree in guidance from Providence in 1998, is a native of Lakewood, N.J., and is married to the former Evangeline Maupin. The couple has four children Jamea (16), Jai (12), Iyana (2) and Elijah (1). Andrea Bloodworth- ASSISTANT COACH Andrea Andy Bloodworth is in her first year as an assistant on the Liberty women s basketball coaching staff. Her responsibilities with the Lady Flames include recruiting, development of the team s perimeter players, scouting and assisting with the organization of summer basketball camps. "What a blessing to be a member of the Liberty family, Bloodworth exclaimed. The tradition of excellence Coach Green has established extends far beyond the court, and I am eager to experience what God has in store for our Lady Flames women of faith." For the past two years, Bloodworth served as recruiting coordinator for the Valparaiso women s basketball team, working with the Crusaders perimeter players and assisting with scouting. The team went 36-24 during her two seasons as part of the coaching staff, including a 20-win season in 2006-07. Six Crusaders earned All-Mid-Continent Conference recognition during those two seasons. Prior to her time at Valparaiso, Bloodworth worked for three years on the Gannon women s basketball coaching staff. As an assistant coach, she served as the Golden Knights recruiting coordinator. Bloodworth also helped develop guard play, coordinated team travel arrangements and assisted with scouting. She was the staff s academic monitor and the team camp coordinator for a squad which won 37 games during her final two seasons and reached the 2005 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title game. Bloodworth spent the 2000-01 and 2001-02 campaigns as an assistant coach and physical education instructor at Armstrong Atlantic State, under head coach Roger Hodge, himself a Liberty assistant coach from 1997-2000. She helped recruit a class of players which posted a 27-4 record in 2002-03, marking the best single-season turnaround in the NCAA that season (15 games) and qualifying for the postseason for the first time in school history. Bloodworth s resume also contains a stint as an assistant coach for an Athletes in Action Fall Tour team which played exhibition games around the Midwest in 1999. She was additionally an assistant for a Lake Michigan Community College women s basketball team which placed sixth at the 2000 NJCAA Division II national championships. 54 2007-08 Liberty Lady Flames Basketball
L A D Y Bloodworth got her start in college coaching as an assistant for the 1998-99 Ferris State women s basketball team. The team s head coach was her sister, Tracey Dorow, who is still at the helm of the Bulldogs. Her father, Rick Bloodworth, recently retired from a long coaching career, which included 31 years as the head girls basketball coach at St. Joseph High School in Michigan and 19 years as the head women s basketball coach at Lake Michigan College. Bloodworth s playing career at Calvin College included a pair of trips to the NCAA Division III regional tournament. She earned a bachelor of arts degree in physical education from Calvin in 1998. Bloodworth resides in the Lynchburg area. Andy comes to Liberty from a deep-rooted basketball family background, which includes a father and older sister who are both coaches and have had a tremendous amount of influence in shaping her love for the game, remarked head coach Carey Green. Serving as a recruiting coordinator in the past, she will be a great asset in recruiting quality student-athletes to Liberty University. Her energy and enthusiasm will enable her to make an immediate positive contribution to our program. Heather Stephens ASSISTANT COACH The 2007-08 campaign will be Heather Stephens fifth season as an assistant coach on the Lady Flames' basketball coaching staff. Her responsibilities include on-the-court guard development, academics, equipment coordination and recruiting. Stephens also assists with scouting and game preparation for perimeter play, as well as serving as summer camp coordinator. In her role as academic coordinator, Stephens helped Liberty achieve the seventh-highest team GPA (3.508) in the nation during the 2006-07 academic year. The Lady Flames had tied for 14th with a 3.338 grade point average the previous season. Prior to arriving at Liberty, Stephens was a member of the Wyoming Cowgirl women s basketball program. As a senior at Wyoming, Stephens was a member of the Cowgirl squad which defeated Montana in the first round of the Women's National Invitation Tournament ASSISTANT COACHES Jesse & Heather Stephens (WNIT). The team achieved the second-highest win total in program history and had the highest grade point average among all Division I schools. Stephens received her bachelor s degree in secondary education with an emphasis in chemistry from Wyoming in 2003 and is currently pursuing a master s degree in human relations from Liberty. It is such an exciting time to be at Liberty University and be a part of a women s basketball program which has established a winning tradition at the national level, stated Stephens. I am blessed to continue to be a part of the Lady Flame family and work with Coach Green. I truly believe the staff and players are poised and ready to be used by God in a big way. "Heather brings an enthusiasm and excitement from a player's perspective to the coaching ranks," head coach Carey Green said. "She's been a student of the game, which provides valuable insight for our players. Heather has been a tremendous asset in so many areas which has established a standard of excellence in our program. I firmly believe Heather s development and contributions as a coach have been major keys to the success of our program." Stephens, who hails from Monument, Colo., is married to Jesse, who is employed at Liberty in the Student Life Department. The couple currently lives in the Lynchburg area with their two dogs, Thunder and Nala. F L A M E S Adam Deyo DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS Adam Deyo is serving as the Lady Flames director of operations for the fifth-consecutive season. He is responsible for the daily operations of the program, including the logistics of practice and game-day management, coordination of managers duties, team travel arrangements and scheduling of games. Deyo, a native of Cincinnati, Ohio, graduated from Gordon College in Wenham, Mass., where he was a member of the Fighting Scots basketball squad during his tenure. Deyo earned his bachelor s degree in Biblical and Theological Studies in 2002. While in college, Deyo was actively involved in Athletes in Action (AIA), working summer basketball camps and touring internationally with their basketball team. He also served as an intern with AIA in Colorado, where he met his future wife, Kelley, who served as an assistant coach for the Lady Flames for four seasons. The two were married in 2002. After their marriage, the Deyo s moved to Austria, where Kelley played professional basketball, while Adam was on staff with AIA. The mission statement of our program is to develop women of excellence who glorify God in basketball and life, stated Deyo. I feel that it s a great opportunity to help build a top-ranked program, while having an eternal impact as our top priority. Adam, Kelley & James Deyo LibertyFlames.com 55
2007-08 L I B E R T Y Adam is a great asset to our program, noted head coach Carey Green. He does a tremendous job with the details of scheduling facilities, travel and hotels and assisting with game management. I appreciate most that Adam has a heart for our program and is a man of integrity. Deyo and his wife, Kelley, currently live in the Lynchburg area with their sons, James (1) and Judah, born in September. ASSISTANT COACHES/SUPPORT STAFF Kristen Rife- OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR Kristen Rife has joined the Lady Flames staff this year as office administrator. She is responsible for a wide range of duties, including budget, intercampus relations and Coach Green s schedule. Rife is very familiar with the Liberty campus, as she graduated from Liberty in 2005 with a bachelor s degree in psychology and a minor in sociology. While an undergraduate, Rife served as a prayer leader for two years and as a resident assistant for two years. For the past two years, Rife worked at the Bruckner Learning Center on campus, as an administrative assistant. In the meantime, she began working towards a master of arts degree in human relations at Liberty and is on schedule to graduate in December. I am looking forward to working for Coach Green, the assistant coaches and the women s basketball team, stated Rife. I believe I have gained helpful experience in the past, which will enable me to succeed in what I need to accomplish in the women s basketball office. Kristen has a sweet spirit and brings with her the experience of working at Liberty and being a student here, noted head women s basketball coach Carey Green. She brings an incredible amount of skills and knowledge to our department, which will help us move forward in this time of transition. We are thankful for Kristen s interest in serving the Lord in this capacity. Rife and her husband, Dustin, were married in June 2006 and reside in the Lynchburg area. Dave Williams STRENGTH & CONDITIONING COACH Considered one of the top strength coaches in the country, Dave Williams is in his 24th year as a member of the strength and conditioning coaching staff for the Flames 18-sport athletics program and his second year working with the Liberty women's basketball team. He is a certified strength and conditioning specialist (C.S.C.S.). During the 1992-93 school year, Williams was one of five finalists nominated for strength coach of the year. This included strength coaches from the professional sports ranks, along with colleagues at the collegiate level. Prior to accepting his current position at Liberty, Williams served three years as the head strength coach at Texas A&M. He also spent a year as an assistant strength coach at Alabama. Before entering the strength and conditioning profession, Williams spent six years as a teacher and coach. He coached two years at Liberty High School in Bedford, Va., and spent four seasons at Timberlake Christian School in Lynchburg, Va. Williams earned Associated Press Little All-America honors while playing collegiately at Fairmont State College in Fairmont, W.Va. He played both offensive and defensive line and was a two-year co-captain at Fairmont State, who was NAIA National Champions in 1967. In 2003, the school honored Williams by inducting him into the Fairmont State College Athletic Department Hall of Fame. Williams also was an All-West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference selection. He played high school football at South Charleston High School in South Charleston, W.Va., where he lettered all four years. Williams graduated from Fairmont State in 1968 with a degree in biology and physical education. He also holds a master s degree from Alabama in physical education. He and his wife, Lee, have two daughters, Shelley and Mandy. They also have two grandchildren. Madeline Bosek ATHLETIC TRAINER Madeline Bosek is beginning her second year as an Assistant Athletic Trainer at Liberty, after joining the staff in July 2006. In her position, she works with the Lady Flames volleyball and women s basketball teams. Bosek, a member of the National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA) and the Virginia Athletic Trainers Association (VATA), came to Liberty after completing a graduate assistantship at James Madison. While in Harrisonburg, Bosek was part of JMU s Athletic Training Education program, gaining teaching experience and learning about the administrative side of athletic training. In 2006, at the conclusion of her time at James Madison, Bosek graduated with a master s degree in health sciences, with a concentration in public health education. A native of San Ramon, Calif., Bosek stayed in her home state for her undergraduate education, attending San Diego State. She earned a bachelor s degree in kinesiology, with a concentration in athletic training, in 2004. Bosek is married to Rory Bosek, a sophomore on the Liberty wrestling team, and the couple resides in the Lynchburg area. SUPPORT STAFF Sam Choi- STUDENT MANAGER Caleb Shultz STUDENT MANAGER 56 2007-08 Liberty Lady Flames Basketball