May 12, 2006

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The University of Maryland's Corliss Fingers earned the prestigious title of Master Strength & Conditioning Coach and was awarded her Green Jacket by the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association (CSCCa) in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Thursday at the association's annual convention. Fingers has been with the Terrapin athletic department for 10 years and is currently serving as the Assistant Director of Strength and Conditioning.

An individual is eligible to receive their Green Jacket once they have been a full-time, collegiate and/or professional strength and conditioning coach for a minimum of 12 years. Fingers is one of just two women in the profession to achieve the status of Master Strength & Conditioning Coach.

A North Carolina native, Fingers has been involved with 20 of the 27 intercollegiate teams at the University of Maryland and currently has responsibilities with football, women's basketball, women's volleyball and softball. The women's basketball squad won the 2006 NCAA Championship, while the volleyball team has captured three-straight ACC titles. She was also working closely with the football team in its string of three-consecutive bowl appearances from 2001-03. In the spring of 2005, Fingers was elevated to Assistant Director of Strength Training for football, to go along with her other responsibilities.

"This award represents everything Corliss is for our women's basketball team and our University," said women's basketball head coach Brenda Frese. "We would not have won the national championship this season without the commitment, dedication and passion she brings each and every day. She is truly one of the best in the business."

Over her 10-year tenure, Fingers has also worked closely with the men's swimming and diving, men's and women's track & field, men's basketball, women's soccer, men's and women's tennis, and men's and women's golf teams.

A number of the student-athletes she has worked with have moved on to the professional ranks, including the LaMont Jordan (Oakland Raiders), D'Qwell Jackson (Cleveland Browns), EJ Henderson (Minnesota Vikings), Madieu Williams (Cincinnati Bengals), Eric Barton (NY Jets), Kris Jenkins (Carolina Panthers), Eric Ogbogu (Dallas Cowboys) and Justin Maxwell (MLB's Washington Nationals).

Fingers is a 1992 graduate with a degree in Physical Education with a concentration in Wellness and Fitness from the University of North Carolina, where she also competed in track & field. Following graduation, she worked as a personal trainer and taught various levels of aerobic conditioning at a local gym. She began her collegiate career in 1994 at her alma mater.

Fingers, formerly Corliss White, was married to her husband Earnest in the fall of 2005.

-TERPS-