Maryland Athletics Hall of Fame Spotlight: Brenda Frese
Inside the legacy that Frese is still actively building as she enters Maryland immortality.
Brady Ruth, Staff Writer
9/3/2026
Brenda Frese is synonymous with Maryland women’s basketball. She built the program, took it to the acme of collegiate athletics, redefined the standard of hoops in College Park, and has maintained a top-tier program throughout the ever-changing landscape of collegiate athletics.
In October, her legacy will transition into immortality as she’s inducted into the Maryland Athletics Hall of Fame. Her unbelievable career and story are still writing themselves, but a new chapter will be added on Oct. 16.
“The first thing that comes from my heart is gratitude,” Frese said. “I was just this little girl from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, who grew up with a passion for the game of basketball. Never in my wildest dreams did I think that it could ever create a path to coaching here at Maryland. It’s not something I could have ever envisioned happening. I never would have thought Maryland would have become home, but that’s what it’s really become for us.”
With 631 wins (and counting) in her 24-year career in College Park, Frese is one of the most successful coaches not only in Maryland history, but across the NCAA. Her .768 career winning percentage is the highest among active men’s and women’s coaches in the Big Ten entering her 25th season at the helm of Terrapin women’s basketball.
Frese will become the second women’s basketball coach to enter the Maryland Athletics Hall of Fame, joining all-time great Chris Weller. She’ll also join field hockey’s Missy Meharg, men’s soccer’s Sasho Cirovski and women’s lacrosse’s Cathy Reese as the fourth active head coach to receive the prestigious honor.
It is truly an honor to welcome Brenda Frese into the Maryland Athletics Hall of Fame. As a coach, I’ve had the opportunity to see firsthand the incredible impact she has made not only through everything she has accomplished on the court, but through the way she has helped shape so many young women into great leaders and role models. That lasting impact makes this recognition so special and well deserved.Maryland women's lacrosse head coach Cathy Reese
Once a Midwestern basketball player with a drive for stardom, Frese found a passion for coaching after a series of injuries halted her playing career. Her coaching journey began at Pima Community College and made stops at Kent State, Iowa State, Ball State, and Minnesota before landing her a long-term home in College Park.
“I love the location and the diversity,” Frese said. “With my midwestern roots and coming out to the East Coast, you’re never really sure how you’re going to mesh, but we’ve made so many friendships that will last a lifetime, and I’m so happy that my family has gotten to grow up around good people from all walks of life.”
One of only four active head coaches to have won a national championship, Frese’s accolades speak for themselves. Her two AP Coach of the Year awards, her three Final Four appearances, 14 conference titles, and 20 20-win seasons boast a career of excellence and stability.
“The thing I’m most proud of is the consistency,” Frese said. “Winning a national championship in your first four years makes it look easy to do, but when I reflect back, finding the consistency we’ve had with the ever-changing landscape of college athletics makes me so proud. Through the years, we’ve still been competing for national championships and conference championships, so it makes me proud that we’ve been able to maintain our standard and level of excellence through the years.”
College basketball is always changing, and while her coaching methods have adapted, her standards haven’t. Through NIL, conference changes, and so much more, Frese has still assembled 17 top-15 recruiting classes and made 22 NCAA Tournament appearances. The new era of college sports hasn’t fazed her, but driven her like never before.
“I didn’t see it coming, and I certainly didn’t sign up for it,” Frese said. “But, I think it’s shown me how adaptable I am. I’ve always had a mindset of growth, so that’s been able to help me evolve through this landscape, but I also just think I’m really competitive. I don’t want to see Maryland fall or slide. I want to maintain that level of excellence and consistency.”
Each year, she makes sure to preach to her team the importance of being comfortable in the uncomfortable and how important it is to be adaptable. She’s been able to see college basketball from a perspective of seeing what benefits NIL has for student-athletes and the environments they get to work in, and understands the balance between the challenges and the rewards. Like everything else, she’s taken the changes in stride, while never changing the standard.
Frese herself is now the standard of what coaching greatness looks like in College Park. What she thought to be a routine meeting with UMD President Darryll Pines and Barry P. Gossett Director of Athletics Jim Smith became so much more as Frese’s own mom joined the meeting and told her she was being inducted into the Maryland Athletics Hall of Fame.
“They really got me,” Frese said. “It was a surprise that I really wasn’t expecting. The Maryland Athletics Hall of Fame wasn’t even on my radar. They picked a very cool moment to tell me, and it was really special for my mom to share that news. My dad told me about winning AP Coach of the Year, so it was really neat to hear this from my mom. Everyone knows that family is really important to me, so to have it unfold this way was the cherry on top.”
Her career is far from over, and her drive for excellence hasn’t once wavered. Perhaps someday, she’ll be able to look at the big picture of what she’s built in College Park, but for now, her focus is where it’s always been: on what comes next for Maryland.
“There are moments when you’re able to go back and reflect, but you don’t get to spend long in them,” Frese said. “You always have to be thinking forward. My parents always ingrained in us that there's always someone out there working to be better than you. Everyone is competitive and wants to outwork the other, so we have to stay focused. But one day, when I’m finished, I’ll look back on the body of work, but not yet.”
