Bowling Green State University Athletics
Women's Basketball
Karmen Graham
- Title:
- Assistant Women's Basketball Coach / Recruiting Coordinator
Karmen Graham heads into her second season on the women's basketball staff at Bowling Green State University. Head coach Robyn Fralick announced Graham's hiring on May 10, 2018.
In the new staff's first season in Northwest Ohio, Fralick, Graham and the Falcons posted an overall record of 9-21 and a 2-16 Mid-American Conference mark. Those records, however, do not accurately reflect the progress made by the coaching staff and their team during the 2018-19 campaign.
The '18-19 Falcons saw a total of 13 games decided by eight points or fewer. In fact, 13 of BGSU's 18 MAC games were within three points with under 12 minutes remaining.
Twelve of those 18 conference contests, including 11 of the 16 losses, were within three points at some time in the fourth quarter. And, no fewer than seven of the Falcons' MAC matchups were tied or were a one-possession game in the final minute.
Graham, an Ohio native, came to BGSU after an incredibly successful season at Belmont University. During the 2017-18 season, Graham helped head coach Bart Brooks and Belmont to a 30-win season for the first time in the program's NCAA Division-I history. The Bruins finished the season with a 31-4 overall record, and won the Ohio Valley Conference regular-season and tournament titles to advance to the NCAA Championships.
"It is wonderful to be reunited with Karmen Graham," said Fralick at the time of Graham's hiring. "We worked together 10 seasons ago at Ashland. I have valued her friendship and have watched her blossom into a great coach and recruiter. Karmen is sincere, fun and is a winner. She has been part of winning programs and immediately brings many recruiting connections to our program. I am so thankful that she chose to come work together and build into the rich tradition of Bowling Green State University women's basketball."
A native of Kettering, Ohio, Graham helped the Bruins break into both the Associated Press and USA Today Coaches Top 25 polls for the first time in program history. Belmont went a perfect 18-0 in OVC regular-season play, and the Bruins ended the 2017-18 campaign having won 46 consecutive games against conference opponents. Brooks was named the league's Coach of the Year, and BU had three all-conference first-team selections and one second-team honoree.
Belmont earned a No. 12 seed for the NCAA Championships, falling to Duke in the first round. Three of the program's four losses on the season came to teams ranked in the top 25.
"I am ecstatic to join Coach Fralick at Bowling Green State University," said Graham at the time of her hiring. "I believe Coach Fralick's mission, vision, and core values will have an immediate positive impact on the BGSU women's basketball program. I could not be more excited to continue my coaching and recruiting career in my home state, with great people."
The 2017-18 Belmont team won a school-record 22 consecutive games prior to the Duke setback. On the way to the NCAA tourney, the Bruins climbed their way up the mid-major rankings, ultimately finishing at No. 1 in the final CollegeInsider.com Women's Mid-Major Top-25 poll of the regular season.
Graham joined the Belmont staff after five years as an assistant coach at her alma mater, Northern Kentucky University, on the staffs of head coaches Nancy Winstel and Dawn Plitzuweit. She returned to NKU in 2011 after spending two years as the top assistant coach at Armstrong Atlantic State University.
Graham served as a graduate assistant at Ashland University during the 2008-09 season, working under legendary AU head coach Sue Ramsey. Fralick was in her first season as an assistant at Ashland in '08-09.
Graham played at NKU from 2003-07, scoring a total of 1,088 career points. As a junior, she earned All-America honorable-mention accolades from the WBCA after averaging 14.3 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. She was also named to the All-Great Lakes Valley Conference First Team as well as the All-Great Lakes Region First Team in that junior campaign of 2005-06. That NKU team posted a 27-5 overall record and won the GLVC Tournament title.
Graham helped the Norse to NCAA Division II Tournament berths in 2004, '06 and '07. She is currently ranked fifth in program history in free-throw percentage (.818) and 13th in field-goal accuracy (.509).
Graham is a 2003 graduate of Kettering Fairmont High School.
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In the new staff's first season in Northwest Ohio, Fralick, Graham and the Falcons posted an overall record of 9-21 and a 2-16 Mid-American Conference mark. Those records, however, do not accurately reflect the progress made by the coaching staff and their team during the 2018-19 campaign.
The '18-19 Falcons saw a total of 13 games decided by eight points or fewer. In fact, 13 of BGSU's 18 MAC games were within three points with under 12 minutes remaining.
Twelve of those 18 conference contests, including 11 of the 16 losses, were within three points at some time in the fourth quarter. And, no fewer than seven of the Falcons' MAC matchups were tied or were a one-possession game in the final minute.
Graham, an Ohio native, came to BGSU after an incredibly successful season at Belmont University. During the 2017-18 season, Graham helped head coach Bart Brooks and Belmont to a 30-win season for the first time in the program's NCAA Division-I history. The Bruins finished the season with a 31-4 overall record, and won the Ohio Valley Conference regular-season and tournament titles to advance to the NCAA Championships.
"It is wonderful to be reunited with Karmen Graham," said Fralick at the time of Graham's hiring. "We worked together 10 seasons ago at Ashland. I have valued her friendship and have watched her blossom into a great coach and recruiter. Karmen is sincere, fun and is a winner. She has been part of winning programs and immediately brings many recruiting connections to our program. I am so thankful that she chose to come work together and build into the rich tradition of Bowling Green State University women's basketball."
A native of Kettering, Ohio, Graham helped the Bruins break into both the Associated Press and USA Today Coaches Top 25 polls for the first time in program history. Belmont went a perfect 18-0 in OVC regular-season play, and the Bruins ended the 2017-18 campaign having won 46 consecutive games against conference opponents. Brooks was named the league's Coach of the Year, and BU had three all-conference first-team selections and one second-team honoree.
Belmont earned a No. 12 seed for the NCAA Championships, falling to Duke in the first round. Three of the program's four losses on the season came to teams ranked in the top 25.
"I am ecstatic to join Coach Fralick at Bowling Green State University," said Graham at the time of her hiring. "I believe Coach Fralick's mission, vision, and core values will have an immediate positive impact on the BGSU women's basketball program. I could not be more excited to continue my coaching and recruiting career in my home state, with great people."
The 2017-18 Belmont team won a school-record 22 consecutive games prior to the Duke setback. On the way to the NCAA tourney, the Bruins climbed their way up the mid-major rankings, ultimately finishing at No. 1 in the final CollegeInsider.com Women's Mid-Major Top-25 poll of the regular season.
Graham joined the Belmont staff after five years as an assistant coach at her alma mater, Northern Kentucky University, on the staffs of head coaches Nancy Winstel and Dawn Plitzuweit. She returned to NKU in 2011 after spending two years as the top assistant coach at Armstrong Atlantic State University.
Graham served as a graduate assistant at Ashland University during the 2008-09 season, working under legendary AU head coach Sue Ramsey. Fralick was in her first season as an assistant at Ashland in '08-09.
Graham played at NKU from 2003-07, scoring a total of 1,088 career points. As a junior, she earned All-America honorable-mention accolades from the WBCA after averaging 14.3 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. She was also named to the All-Great Lakes Valley Conference First Team as well as the All-Great Lakes Region First Team in that junior campaign of 2005-06. That NKU team posted a 27-5 overall record and won the GLVC Tournament title.
Graham helped the Norse to NCAA Division II Tournament berths in 2004, '06 and '07. She is currently ranked fifth in program history in free-throw percentage (.818) and 13th in field-goal accuracy (.509).
Graham is a 2003 graduate of Kettering Fairmont High School.
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