Women's Basketball Assistant Coach Frese Leaves For Illinois
6/17/2003 8:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
June 17, 2003
Champaign, Ill. - Illinois Head Coach Theresa Grentz is in the process of filling an impressive assistant coaching staff. Wray Cannaday has finished a successful first year as an assistant coach. Monday, Grentz added nationally respected recruiter Marsha Frese to the staff. Frese comes to Illinois after coaching under her sister, Brenda Frese, at Ball State, Minnesota and Maryland. Grentz anticipates completing her staff quickly.
A 1995 graduate of Rice University with a bachelor or arts in communication, Frese has been successful in all her professional pursuits. Upon graduation, Frese was the first female sports anchor for KALB-TV in Alexandria, La.
After a three-year stint in front of the camera, Frese returned to basketball as assistant for her sister, Brenda, at Ball State. The Frese sisters are renowned as players in the state of Iowa, helping Washington High School to the 1988 Iowa state title. As a player Frese led the state in scoring twice (in 1989 and 1990) and was named 1990 Miss Iowa Basketball by both USA Today and the Gatorade Circle of Champions. At Rice, Marsha Frese tore up the nets, finishing her career as the school's all-time leader in three-point percentage and sixth in three-pointers made.
At Ball State, Frese helped orchestrate back to back-back winning seasons for the just the second time in school history, posting 16-13 and 19-9 marks, the latter ranking as the best season in school history. Their first recruiting class included Mid-American Conference Freshman of the Year Johna Goff.
From there it was on to Minnesota where the Gophers emerged on the national scene after an 8-20 record the year before. In 2002, the Gophers posted the biggest turnaround in the country, winning 14 more games than they had the year before. Frese was an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Minnesota, where the Gophers not only posted a 22-8 record, but they attracted the 15th rated national recruiting class according to Blue Star Basketball.
At Maryland last season, Frese again headed the recruiting efforts as well as serve as an assistant coach. The Terrapins signed McDonald's All-American Shay Doron and third team All-American Kalika France. That class was rated the tenth best recruiting class nationally according to Blue Star, and the sixth rated national class for those classes of two signees or less as rated by All Star Girls Report.
"I've really admired from afar what Marsha has been able to accomplish both as a coach and a recruiter," Grentz said. "She is a rising star in the coaching profession with a qualified and well-rounded background. Marsha's people skills and eye for evaluating talent will serve the Illini well. We are thrilled that she has chosen to spend time with us at Illinois and look forward to having her back in the Midwest."
"I am extremely excited to have the opportunity to work with Theresa Grentz," Frese said. "As a Hall of Fame coach, she is one of the legends of the game and one of the most energetic and driven coaches I have been around. The University of Illinois is such an incredible place and has so much to offer student-athletes that I can't wait to hit the recruiting trail and get started."
Frese married Jason Elliott in 2002.
