March
8, 2008
(release courtesy of Matt Turk, Simpson College sports information
director)
INDIANOLA,
IOWA . . . Simpson College Head Women’s Basketball
Coach Brian Niemuth has been selected as 1-of-8
2008 Russell Athletic/WBCA Regional Coaches of the Year. This
is the third time Niemuth has earned the Russell Athletic/WBCA
Region Coach of the Year honors.
Niemuth
led Simpson to its Conference-record-tying seventh IIAC women’s
basketball title, its sixth since 1998, with a 15-1 Conference
record. After winning their fourth Conference Tournament title
in nine years, the Storm qualified for their eighth NCAA Tournament
overall, and their fourth in a row, with a 26-2 overall record.
Simpson
won a school-record 26 games and lead the Iowa Conference in
scoring offense (84.8 points/game), scoring margin (+24.0),
field goal percentage (48.7 percent), field goal percentage
defense (34.7 percent), 3-point field goal defense (29.9 percent),
rebounding offense (44.7 rebounds/game), rebounding margin (+7.1),
blocked shots (8.81 blocks/game), assists (20.81 assists/game),
steals (13.37 steals/game), and turnover margin (+4.48).
Niemuth
is in his 21st year at the helm of the Storm program. The winningest
coach in school history, Niemuth is 387-167 (a .698 winning
percentage). Niemuth was named Women's DIII News Coach of the
Month for January 2008 after Simpson went 7-0 during the month.
Niemuth
is 31st among active Division III coaches in wins and is 48th
among active Division III coaches in winning percentage. In
the history of Division III women’s basketball, Niemuth
is 37th in all-time victories and 48th in winning percentage.
Below
are the RUSSELL ATHLETIC/WBCA Regional Coaches of the Year For
NCAA Division III
| Region |
Coach |
School |
| 1 |
Carla
Berube |
Tufts
University |
| 2 |
Lindsay
Drury |
William
Smith College |
| 3 |
Dawn
Henderson |
The
College of New Jersey |
| 4 |
Janice
Luck |
Albright
College |
| 5 |
Chris
Kielsmeier |
Howard
Payne University |
| 6 |
Michele
Durand |
Ohio
Northern University |
| 7 |
Mia
Smith |
Illinois
Wesleyan University |
| 8 |
Brian
Niemuth |
Simpson
College |
Below
is courtesy of the WBCA
The
winners are selected through a two-level process. The first
level is by region, in which coaches from each WBCA geographical
region vote for their respective top coach. If a coach has been
selected as Regional Coach of the Year, they advance as a finalist
to the national level of the selection process along with the
other Regional Coaches of the Year in their respective division.
The number of coaches varies depending on affiliation.
NCAA
Division III Final Four coaches are eligible to be considered
for the Russell Athletic/WBCA National Coach of the Year even
if they are not named the coach of the year for their respective
region. Russell Athletic/WBCA Regional Coaches of the Year are
not selected for Junior College/Community College.
The
winners of the WBCA National Coach of the Year for each division
will be honored on Monday, April 7, 2008, at Noon (ET) during
the RUSSELL ATHLETIC/WBCA National Coach of the Year Luncheon
presented by AstraZeneca in the Marriott Waterside's Grand Ballroom.
The luncheon is part of the 2008 WBCA National Convention, held
in conjunction with the NCAA® Women's Final Four®.
About
RUSSELL ATHLETIC
For more than 100 years, Russell Athletic has been
designing and producing the most innovative, most comfortable
apparel to help athletes at all levels perform their best. From
the youth practice fields, to premier collegiate teams, to the
most respected professional arenas, whenever you see athletes
and teams who demand the highest quality, exceptional durability,
and extreme comfort, you'll find Russell Athletic.
About
the WBCA
Founded in 1981, the WBCA promotes women's basketball
by unifying coaches at all levels to develop a reputable identity
for the sport and to foster and promote the development of the
game as a sport for women and girls. For additional information
about the WBCA, please visit wbca.org.
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