30 coaches attend June session of The Center for Coaching Excellence

ATLANTA (June 18, 2012) - The June session of The Center for Coaching Excellence (CCE) concluded Wednesday, June 13, with 30 college women's basketball coaches completing the invitation-only elite leadership program that was held on the campus of Columbia University in New York.

The CCE is a joint project of Columbia and the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA). The inaugural two sessions were held in May and June 2011. The third session was held May 21-23 of this year. To date, 115 college women's basketball coaches have completed the two-and-a-half-day curriculum.

"The Center for Coaching Excellence gets better every session," said WBCA CEO Beth Bass. "The Center for Coaching Excellence was outstanding to begin with, and program facilitators Dr. M. Dianne Murphy and Dr. Cathie T. Siders fine-tune the curriculum to pointedly address the hot topics facing college women's basketball today. The result is a two-and-a-half-day program that leaves our coaches educated, motivated and rejuvenated."

"The June 2012 session of The Center for Coaching Excellence was incredibly successful," said Murphy, who directs intercollegiate athletics and physical education at Columbia. "After concluding our second year, we have now worked with more than 120 college women's basketball coaches, and we have fine-tuned our program to directly address some of the most pressing issues in college women's basketball."

Capitalizing on the resources of Columbia University, one of the world's leading research universities, and the WBCA, the CCE provides an unparalleled, exclusive learning experience. Utilizing collaborative and interactive learning sessions along with lectures and panel discussions featuring experts in college athletics and women's basketball, the CCE provides college women's basketball coaches valuable networking opportunities with their peers and top industry leaders.

Coaches attending the June 11-13 session were Jane Albright, Nevada-Reno; Richard Barron, Maine-Orono; Joan Bonvicini, Seattle; Pam Borton, Minnesota-Twin Cities; Cori Close, UCLA; Tricia Cullop, Toledo; Kathy Delaney-Smith, Harvard; Tonya Edwards, Alcorn State; Patricia Fabbri, Quinnipiac; Terri Williams-Flournoy, Auburn; Nicci Hayes Fort, Colgate; Stephanie Glance, Illinois State; Kellie Harper, North Carolina State; Jim Jabir, Dayton; Dave Magarity, Army; Maureen Magarity, New Hampshire; Melissa McFerrin, Memphis; Muffet McGraw, Notre Dame; Sytia Messer, Georgia Tech; Nitra Perry, Kennesaw State; Rick Pietri, South Alabama; Autumn Rademacher, Detroit-Mercy; Nike Reid Geckeler, Howard; Michele Savage, Davidson; Dayna Smith, Cornell; Jonathan Tsipis, George Washington; Sharon Versyp, Purdue; Chris Wielgus, Dartmouth; Adrian Wiggins, Mississippi; and Terry Zeh, Canisius.

"The Center for Coaching Excellence was an outstanding professional development opportunity," said McGraw. "While the curriculum was relevant, helpful and interesting, the opportunity to network and share ideas with my colleagues across the coaching ranks were my favorite parts of the program. The Center for Coaching Excellence was a great experience. I would highly recommend it to any college women's basketball head coach."

"The Center for Coaching Excellence has helped me tremendously," said Jabir. "The level of expertise available to us was outstanding. The faculty that came to speak to us did so in a very genuine and sincere way, which was very eye-opening for me. I feel that I am able to redirect my energies and become a better coach, mentor and administrator because of what I learned at The Center for Coaching Excellence."

Siders, a clinical psychologist, organizational consultant and executive coach, facilitated group-learning sessions. Other sessions featured panel discussions from a wide variety of leaders from both the college athletics industry and other sectors of industry.

"Our nation's college women's basketball head coaches are wonderful teachers and mentors," said Siders. "The men and women who are stewarding this game are wholly committed to the young women who play for them. For the second straight year, I am thrilled to have worked with these exceptional men and women. They were so hungry for knowledge and insight -- and greatly appreciate having extra tools in their leadership toolbox."

"Once again, we assembled an outstanding faculty for The Center for Coaching Excellence," said Murphy. "We were very fortunate that they were able to take time out of their busy schedules to be with us. With Coach Geno Auriemma preparing for the London Olympics, we were thrilled he was able to join us. Our faculty is first class."

The faculty for the June 11-13 session included Julie Roe Lach, vice president of enforcement, NCAA; Kevin Anderson, athletics director, Maryland; Marilyn McNeil, athletics director, Monmouth; Greg Christopher, athletics director, Bowling Green; Sherri Coale, head women's basketball coach, Oklahoma; Erik Johnson, head women's basketball coach, Boston College; Geno Auriemma, head women's basketball coach, Connecticut, and head coach, USA Women's Basketball; Robin Green Harris, executive director, Ivy League; Carolyn Schlie Femovich, executive director, Patriot League; Beth DeBauche, commissioner, Ohio Valley Conference; and Noreen Morris; commissioner, Northeast Conference.

About the WBCA:
Founded in 1981, the Women's Basketball Coaches Association 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. The WBCA is pleased to join the women's sports community in commemorating the 40th anniversary of Title IX, which was passed by Congress on June 23, 1972, and provides females with equal opportunities in athletics in the U.S. For more information on the WBCA, please visit wbca.org.