Fifth Head Coach Kathy McConnell-Miller Season When Kathy McConnell- including the 2008 WNIT run, before returning to her native Miller took over the University Latvia to pursue a professional career. In 2008, the Buffaloes of Colorado program four years landed the consensus Colorado Player of the Year Alyssa Fressle ago, there’s no question the out of Highlands Ranch, who made an immediate contribution Buffaloes were rebuilding and and was rewarded with a spot on the Big 12 All-Rookie Team. the team was a work in CU hit the state jackpot in 2009 with three All-Colorado cal- progress. iber players; twins Meagan and Brenna Malcolm-Peck, Boulder In four seasons at Colorado, natives who played at Horizon High School, and Chucky Jeffery, there is no question that one of the top Class 4A players in 2009 for Sierra High School McConnell-Miller’s Buffaloes in Colorado Springs. The have made progress and the regional additions of program his heading in the right Kailah Bailey and Melissa direction. MacFarlane, both of McConnell-Miller, 41, sports a Omaha, Neb., have given 52-71 record in her four seasons at Colorado and is 143-159 the Buffaloes their third overall in 10 seasons as an NCAA Division I head coach. Top 40 class in the last Injuries, graduation and playing in the nation’s premier four years. women’s basketball conference, the Big 12, hampered the In 2006, Colorado had progress her teams had built her first three seasons in 2008-09 the No. 29 ranked class as the Buffaloes struggled to an 11-18 mark and a 12th place according to the All-Star finish in league play. But returning nine contributing players Girls Report. What was and adding the 32nd best recruiting class in the nation has the remarkable about the Buffaloes pointing in the right direction once again. class of 2006 is The 2009-10 season will mark the first year in which the McConnell-Miller and her Buffaloes are comprised completely of players coach McConnell- staff didn’t even have the Miller brought to campus. She fared well with the players inher- chance to start on the ited from legendary CU head coach Ceal Barry, but she has also recruiting trail until April excelled in bringing in her own players. McConnell-Miller, and when they arrived in her staff, who from day one have established a family type Boulder. Despite that late atmosphere in the lockerroom and a fighting spirit in their play- start, McConnell-Miller ers, have been committed to keeping Colorado’s best players and her staff managed to home, and have certainly succeeded on that front. sign five top 150 players, For three straight seasons, Colorado has landed at least one including Whitney of the state’s premier prep stars, beginning in 2007 with Aija Houston and Putnina who Putnina, who contributed two solid seasons for the Buffaloes, made significant contri- McConnell-Miller’s College Coaching Record Season Position School Record Conf Postseason 1991-92 Assistant Coach Pittsburgh 11-18 6-12 1992-93 Assistant Coach Pittsburgh 15-12 10-8 1993-94 Assistant Coach Rutgers 22-8 13-3 NCAA First Round/ Atlantic 10 Champions 1994-95 Assistant Coach Rutgers 17-13 11-5 1995-96 Assistant Coach Illinois 13-15 6-10 1996-97 Assistant Coach Illinois 24-8 12-4 NCAA Sweet Sixteen/ Big Ten Champions 1997-98 Assistant Coach Illinois 20-10 12-4 NCAA Sweet Sixteen 1998-99 Associate Head Coach Illinois 19-12 10-6 NCAA Second Round 1999-00 Head Coach Tulsa 14-15 9-5 2000-01 Head Coach Tulsa 8-21 4-12 2001-02 Head Coach Tulsa 17-13 11-7 2002-03 Head Coach Tulsa 14-16 9-9 2003-04 Head Coach Tulsa 19-12 11-7 WNIT 2004-05 Head Coach Tulsa 19-11 11-7 WNIT 2005-06 Head Coach Colorado 9-21 3-13 2006-07 Head Coach Colorado 13-17 6-10 2007-08 Head Coach Colorado 19-15 5-11 WNIT Semifinals 2008-09 Head Coach Colorado 11-18 3-13 Ten Year Head Coaching Record: 143-159 (.474)/at CU: 52-71 (.423) 34 butions in their first two seasons. McConnell-Miller, who officially became the Her first three seasons at Colorado were sixth head coach in the history of CU women’s marked by significant improvement each year. basketball on April 27, 2005, presided over the From a nine-win season her first year in Boulder, development of Jackie McFarland, one of the to a 13-17 mark in 2006-07, in 2007-08 she top players in the Big 12 from 2004-08. guided the Buffaloes to a 19-15 record and the McFarland was a two-time AP honorable men- team’s first winning season and postseason berth tion All-American and three-time All-Big 12 since the 2003-04 campaign. selection including back-to-back first team McConnell-Miller experienced quite a few honors in 2007 and 2008. All-league selections firsts during CU’s memorable 2007-08 season. are nothing new to McConnell-Miller as she has She led Colorado to its first Associated Press had at least one first or second team all-con- national ranking in four seasons, peaking at No. ference performer in each of her 10 seasons as 23, and in the process became the 22nd person a collegiate head coach. The latest in her run in NCAA Division I women’s history to coach and of all-star caliber players is junior Brittany play for an AP ranked team. Spears who last season became just the second McConnell-Miller’s Buffaloes beat three ranked player in team history to reach 1,000 points by teams in 2007-08 – another first in four years – the end of her sophomore year. and finished ninth in the tough Big 12 The Buffaloes have also had academic suc- Conference at 5-11. With a league-record eight cess in the McConnell-Miller era. In her three Big 12 teams advancing to the NCAA Tournament, seasons, McConnell-Miller has coached 12 CU gained the conference’s automatic bid into Academic All-Big 12 Women’s Basketball team the WNIT where the Buffaloes proceeded to advance to the members and helped guide McFarland to three ESPN The semifinals before falling to eventual tournament champion Magazine Academic All-America honors, including first team Marquette. It was CU’s first ever appearance in the semifinals of acclaim in 2007-08. a postseason event and for McConnell-Miller, she claimed the Before arriving at CU, McConnell-Miller spent six seasons as first three postseason wins of her head coaching career (3-3). head coach at the University of Tulsa where she constructed an The signs of progress were also evident in her second season, impressive turnaround of the Golden Hurricane program. Before 2006-07, when the Buffaloes finished tied for seventh in the her arrival in 1999-2000, Tulsa had just one winning season in Big 12 at 6-10. CU’s six league wins in 2006-07 were more than its 14-year history, an overall record of 81-250 (.324), and was the previous two years combined (3-13 in 2005-06 and 2-14 in actually dropped as a varsity sport for nine years following the 2004-05) and the Buffs won their first Big 12 Tournament game 1986-87 campaign. In her six seasons at Tulsa, McConnell-Miller since 2003. recorded a program-best 91 wins (15.2 wins per year), winning seasons in three of the last four years and two postseason appearances. She left as Tulsa’s all-time leader for coaching victories with a record of 91-88 and owns the longest tenure in school histo- ry by a women’s basketball coach. McConnell-Miller, who earned WAC Coach of the Year honors in her rookie season as a colle- giate head coach in 1999-00, led Tulsa to 14 or more wins in five of her six campaigns. Under the direction of McConnell-Miller, Tulsa placed at least one play- er on either the All-WAC first or second team, each of her six seasons. McConnell-Miller also had the Golden Hurricane excelling in the class- room sporting four ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District first and sec- ond team performers. Tulsa players also earned 23 All-WAC Academic Team honors. One of McConnell-Miller’s prize The Millers: Brad, Kathy, Brice, Mackenzie and Macie 35 players was Allison Curtin who was an AP honorable mention All-American for the Golden Hurricane and was drafted by the Houston Comets in the first round of the 2003 WNBA Draft. Prior to her appointment at Tulsa, McConnell-Miller spent four seasons on Theresa Grentz’s staff at the University of Illinois (1995-99). She was an assistant coach for her first three years before being promoted to associate head coach for her final season. The Fighting Illini posted an overall record of 76-45 and advanced to three NCAA Tournaments with McConnell-Miller on the bench. Illinois won the Big Ten Conference Championship in 1997 and twice advanced to the Sweet 16. While at Illinois, McConnell-Miller was vital in the signing of a pair of recruiting classes that ranked among the top five in the nation. McConnell-Miller coached with Grentz for a total of six years as she went with Grentz to Illinois from Rutgers University in 1995. McConnell-Miller was a Rutgers assistant for two seasons (1993- 95), helping the Lady Knights post a pair of winning campaigns, the 1994 Atlantic 10 Championship and a spot in the NCAA Tournament.