Bowling Green State University Athletics
Curt Miller Named Russell Athletic/WBCA Region Coach of the Year
March 15, 2006 | Women's Basketball
March 15, 2006
ATLANTA, Ga. - The Russell Athletic/Women's Basketball Coaches Association Regional Coach of the Year winners for the NCAA, NAIA and Junior College have been announced by the WBCA, and Bowling Green State University coach Curt Miller is among the honorees. Miller has been named the Russell Athletic/WBCA Region Four Coach of the Year.
Miller, who earns the regional honor for the first time in his career, is now a finalist for the WBCA National Coach of the Year, which will be awarded on April 4.
Miller is in good company, as the other regional winners and national coach-of-the-year finalists include C. Vivian Stringer (Rutgers - Region 1), Sylvia Hatchell (North Carolina - Region 2), Pat Summitt (Tennessee - Region 3), Sherri Coale (Oklahoma - Region 5), Jim Wiedie (Indiana State - Region 6), Don Flanagan (New Mexico - Region 7) and Charli Thorne (Arizona State - Region 8).
"It is an unbelievable feeling to be named one of the finalists for national coach-of-the-year honors, and to be mentioned in the same breath with some of the true legends of the game," said Miller. "Coach-of-the-Year honors are directly related to the success of the team, and I am very proud of our team's accomplishments this year.
"I want to thank my players and coaching staff for all of their hard work and dedication throughout the season. They are the reason that awards like this one are possible."
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.
The winners of the WBCA National Coach of the Year for each division will be honored on Tuesday, April 4 at 12 p.m. ET during the Russell Athletic/WBCA Coach of the Year Luncheon in the Hynes Convention Center Ballroom, which is part of the 2006 WBCA National Convention. This year the WBCA celebrates its Silver Anniversary, marking 25 years of existence.
All Miller has done this season is lead the Falcons to a 28-2 overall record and a perfect 16-0 Mid-American Conference mark. On the eve of the Kraft MAC Tournament, Miller was named MAC Coach of the Year for the second consecutive season, and he and his team then went out and won three games to capture the tourney title for the second-straight season. BGSU has qualified for the NCAA Championships, and the Falcons will travel to West Lafayette, Ind., to face UCLA in Sunday (March 19) action.
This season marks the fourth time a BGSU coach has been named the WBCA's regional coach of the year. Fran Voll earned the award in 1986-87, while Jaci Clark was honored in both 1993-94 and 1997-98.
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 in all of its aspects as an amateur sport for women and girls. For more information about the WBCA, please visit WBCA.org.
The Russell Athletic/WBCA Regional Coach of the Year winners for NCAA Division I ...
REGION -- COACH, INSTITUTION
Region 1 -- C. Vivian Stringer, Rutgers
Region 2 -- Sylvia Hatchell, North Carolina
Region 3 -- Pat Summitt, Tennessee
Region 4 -- Curt Miller, Bowling Green
Region 5 -- Sherri Coale, Oklahoma
Region 6 -- Jim Wiedie, Indiana State
Region 7 -- Don Flanagan, New Mexico
Region 8 -- Charli Thorne, Arizona State
