Press Release :: Women's Basketball Coaches Association

ATLANTA - The Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) has selected the University of Louisville's Jeff Walz as the recipient of the Maggie Dixon Division I Rookie Coach of the Year award. This distinguished award honors a WBCA Division I head coach who has lead their team to a successful season during their first year at the helm.

"This season we had an outstanding group of fresh faces at the helm on many Division I programs, but Jeff's achievements have truly set him apart," said WBCA CEO Beth Bass. "He has lifted the Louisville program to new heights, and we look forward to seeing his career continue on the ascent."

Walz led the Louisville women's basketball team to a No. 4 seed in the New Orleans region of the 2008 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament, the highest in school history, and the program's first ever Sweet 16 appearance. The Cardinals squad recorded another first this season when they upset No. 4/5 Rutgers, recording their first ever win against an opponent ranked in the top five.

One of 30 first-year coaches in the nation, Walz recorded more wins (27) this season than any other coaching rookie. He was one of just two rookie coaches to lead their team to the NCAA tournament and one of only five to advance to postseason play.

Walz took the reins of the Louisville squad after serving as an associate head coach at the University of Maryland for five seasons. At Maryland, he helped head coach Brenda Frese build a squad that appeared in the last four NCAA Tournaments and won the National Championship in 2006. Walz also coached with Frese at the University of Minnesota for one year after serving as an assistant at Nebraska from 1997-2001.

Walz will be honored at the RUSSELL ATHLETIC/WBCA National Coach of the Year Luncheon presented by AstraZeneca on Monday, April 7, 2008, at Noon (ET) in the Marriott Waterside's Grand Ballroom. The luncheon is part of the WBCA National Convention, held in conjunction with the NCAA® Women's Final Four® in Tampa Bay, Fla.

The Maggie Dixon Rookie Coach of the Year award is in honor of the late Maggie Dixon, former Army head coach, whose success during her inaugural year at the Army helm was remarkable. The Black Knights won the Patriot League title in 2006 and Dixon was named the Patriot League Coach of the Year after leading Army to the NCAA Tournament for the first time at the NCAA Division I level. Coach Dixon passed away on April 6, 2006, just a few weeks following their appearance in the NCAA Tournament. The inaugural award was given last year to Krista Kilburn-Stevesky of Hofstra University.

About the WBCA
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 as a sport for women and girls. For additional information about the WBCA, please visit wbca.org.