NIU womens basketball coach resigns
Northern Illinois head women's basketball coach Carol Owens announced Thursday that she has resigned her post at the school after five years at the helm of the Huskie program.
Owens, a Hall of Fame player for Northern Illinois from 1985-90, said she felt this is the right time for her to turn the program over to new leadership.
"At this time, I think it's best that I step down as head coach," Owens said. "Right now, I want to transition from the role of head coach in pursuit of a more balanced life. However, no matter where I am I will always be connected to Northern in spirit. That said, I wish the University, the women's basketball program and my players continued success. Jeff Compher and his staff have been very supportive of me during this time. It's a hard decision [to leave], but it's the best decision for me right now."
Compher thanked Owens for her contributions to her alma mater, and her efforts to build the women's basketball program into a MAC contender.
"Carol Owens has made this into a position that will be highly-sought after based on what she has built at NIU over the past five years," Compher said. "She leaves the program with a solid base and a great incoming class of four signees. We appreciate everything she has done for Northern Illinois women's basketball, certainly as a player here, but especially as the head coach for the past five years. Carol will always be a Huskie and we wish her all the best in the future."
Owens compiled a 66-81 record in five seasons as NIU's head coach, highlighted by a 19-12 mark in 2006-07, her second year. That season, Stephanie Raymond, the eventual No. 20 pick in the 2007 WNBA draft, led NIU to the semifinals of the MAC Women's Basketball Tournament. Owens' 2008-09 team won 15 games and recorded the most league wins by a Huskie team since 2000-01.
Owens' players won eight All-MAC honors with Raymond picking up first team accolades in 2006-07. Marke Freeman was named the league's Sixth Player of the Year following the 2008-09 season.
Her NIU teams were successful in the classroom as well. Women's basketball recorded a team cumulative grade point average above 3.0 every semester under Owens, and all 12 seniors that have completed their careers at Northern Illinois during her tenure earned their degrees.
"A lot of great things have taken place with the women's basketball program at Northern Illinois over the last five years," Owens said. "The program is in a really good place right now. There is a strong foundation with the young ladies that are currently at NIU and I really believe the sky is the limit for Huskie women's basketball. I came back to Northern Illinois [in 2005] because of the people and my
love for the institution and everyone in the athletic department, and my feelings have not changed."
In addition to her leadership of the Huskie women's basketball program, Owens has made her mark as a coach for USA Basketball during her time at NIU. She served as the head coach of the United States' U18 and U19 teams over the last two summers and those teams won gold at the World Championships in 2008 and 2009, respectively. Owens was named USA Basketball's Developmental Coach of the Year in December 2008.
She also spent two seasons as an assistant coach for Team USA and collected two more gold medals in 2006 and 2007.
Compher said that Northern Illinois will begin a national search for Owens' successor immediately.