Press Release :: Women's Basketball Coaches Association

ATLANTA, Ga. - The Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) has selected Kim Muhl of Kirkwood Community College as the 2007 Russell Athletic/WBCA National Junior College/Community College  (JC/CC) Coach of the Year. This year marks the 25^th year that this accolade has been presented, which has been selected by the WBCA since 1983. 

“Kim Muhl has shown himself to be an outstanding coach and leader in collegiate women’s basketball,” said WBCA CEO Beth Bass.  “On behalf of the WBCA and his fellow colleagues, I am proud to present Kim with the JC/CC Coach of the Year Award.”

Presiding over the team since 1989, Coach Muhl’s teams have reached 17 regional finals, 11 national tournaments and three national titles, after capturing the 2007 crown for NJCAA Division II.  Muhl sets himself apart after leading the Eagles to a rare feat - 17 consecutive 20-win seasons, including two seasons with 34 wins.  Muhl has been named Region 6 Coach of the Year 10 times. He currently sports a 518-104 record, including a phenomenal home record of 225-22.

Attracting national attention and ranking at the top of the NJCAA Division II poll, Muhl is most proud of his student-athletes’ accomplishments and has coached three Kodak All-Americans in his stint at Kirkwood Community College. The level of play at Kirkwood has attracted many four-year schools to the Cedar Rapids, Iowa campus in hopes of acquiring the talented pool of student-athletes that makes this program a success.                        

"Russell Athletic is proud to support the winners of the WBCA Coach of the Year Awards.  Just like these individuals, for those who have what it takes on the inside, Russell has what it takes on the outside,” said Chris Passarell, Senior Director of Marketing, Russell Athletic.

Muhl is one of six Russell Athletic/WBCA National Coaches of the Year selected, which also names winners for each of the other four WBCA collegiate divisions (NCAA Divisions I, II, III, and NAIA) as well as High School. The JC/CC Russell Athletic/WBCA National Coach of the Year Committee decided in 2005-06 that they would solicit additional nominations from the committee in order to increase the number of nominations received for this award. Each collegiate winner is 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. Muhl, having received the most votes in WBCA Region 5, advanced as a finalist to the national level of the selection process along with the other five Regional Coaches of the Year in the Junior College/Community College division.

The WBCA would also like to recognize the following regional Junior College/Community College Coaches of the Year:

Muhl and the national winners from the other five divisions will be honored at the Russell Athletic/WBCA National Coach of the Year Luncheon presented by AstraZeneca on Monday, April 2, 2007, at 12:00 p.m. (ET) in the Crowne Plaza’s Grand Ballroom. The luncheon is part of the 2007 WBCA National Convention, held in conjunction with the NCAA® Women's Final Four® in Cleveland, Ohio. 

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. 

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 a sport for women and girls. For more information about the WBCA, please visit WBCA.org.