Beloit College

I worked at Beloit from 1990-95 as the women’s basketball coach, assistant women’s soccer coach and intramural director.  These years held some of the best experiences I have had as a coach. In reflecting on those years, what has stayed with me are all the amazing people I met, from the student-athletes to fellow coaches, to the faculty and staff at Beloit.
 
So many memories came flooding back.  As a new coach to the mid-west and to the Midwest Conference, I soon came to realize how strong the conference was.  The north division of the conference (Beloit, Lake Forest, Lawrence, Ripon, and St. Norbert) was strong and competitive, creating great rivalries.  Just getting to be one of the top two teams in the division, and therefore making it to the conference tournament, was an accomplishment. In the 1992-93 season, the conference expanded, including Carroll and counting all crossover games between the two divisions.  In the final three years of my coaching tenure, we were able to make the 4-team conference tournament.  
 
We had some great trips--we went to Florida, winning the Lake Caloosa tournament in the 1992-93 season; another year we played in Maryville College’s tournament, which included a trip to the University of Tennessee to watch a Lady Vol practice and an opportunity to meet Pat Summit.  In the 1994-95 season, we travelled to St. Louis to play Fontbonne and perennial national powerhouse Washington University. We came away with a hard fought 3-point win. During the team trips, we grew as a team, gathering experiences both on the court and off.  
 
We began the 1994-95 season 0-4, a young team with potential.  The returning players had lost in the conference finals the year before.  We had a good blend of youth and experience. We kept getting better as the season progressed.  The big win at Wash U. was followed by an exciting double overtime win at home against a strong Illinois College team.  The crowd on hand for that game was loud and boisterous. It was a great day to be a Buccaneer! We went on to Illinois College for the conference tournament.  With two exciting victories, we won our first conference championship and received a bid to the NCAA tournament.  
 
During the years I coached at Beloit, we had great teams, we competed hard, we won a North Division title and a conference championship.  We made an appearance in the NCAA tournament. The players on each of the teams were committed to Beloit, to their education, to the athletic program, and to each other. I was fortunate to coach these student-athletes. I also made lifelong friendships with colleagues and opposing coaches.  It was an impactful and important period in my life, for which I remain grateful.