April 25, 2002
COLLEGE PARK, MD. -
New University of Maryland head basketball coach Brenda Frese put the rest of the pieces in place when she announced her staff on April 25, 2002. The newest faces on the Maryland sideline include all three of her assistants from Minnesota, where the staff turned around a Golden Gopher team that had gone 8-20 to a 22-8 record its first season and Frese was named the 2001-02 AP National Coach of the Year. The new Terrapin staffers include Jeff Walz, Marsha Frese-Elliott, and Erica Floyd. The new Director of Basketball Operations, Mark Pearson, was also with the staff at Minnesota.
"This staff will be the difference makers in bringing Maryland women's basketball to an elite national level," commented Frese. "They are energetic, passionate and no one will outwork them. I am excited about what each and every one of them will add to our Terrapin basketball family."
WALZ JOINS MARYLAND, BRINGS COACHING EXPERIENCE FROM NEBRASKA, WESTERN KENTUCKY, AND MINNESOTA
Jeff Walz was announced as one of the new assistant coaches for the Maryland women's basketball program, and joins the Terrapins after stints at Minnesota, Nebraska and Western Kentucky. Walz brings with him seven years of collegiate coaching experience, including five NCAA tournaments and one WNIT appearance in his career.
A scholarship player for Northern Kentucky from 1990-93, Walz was with new Terps' head coach Brenda Frese at Minnesota for one year after coaching for four seasons at Nebraska. At Minnesota, Walz worked with the posts and centers, including Big Ten freshman of year Janelle McCarville. Walz also took on scouting and recruiting efforts for the Gophers during the staff's 22-8 season.
While with the Cornhuskers, Walz was involved with all aspects of the program from coordinating the Huskers' recruiting efforts to tracking student-athletes' academics to scheduling and camps. Walz helped Nebraska to three straight NCAA tournament appearances (1998, 1999, 2000), a school record, and also coached the L.A. Sparks No. 1 draft pick in the 2000 WNBA Draft, Nicole Kubik.
"Jeff's level of expertise in the game of basketball is a great addition to our staff," cited Frese. "I feel fortunate to be able to hire someone with so much experience. His positive attitude and energy is contagious with anyone he meets. Jeff will help lead this program to the next level."
Walz began his collegiate coaching career at Western Kentucky in 1996 after serving as the team's administrative assistant the previous season. He started coaching at the middle and high school levels in 1992 and was an AAU coach from 1995-96. During his career he has guided such players as 1999 NCAA champion and WNBA standout Ukari Figgs, University of Tennessee's Kyra Elzy, Ohio State standout Marita Porter and 1996 national high school player of the year Jaime Walz.
He attended Northern Kentucky University on a basketball scholarship, graduating with a bachelor of science in May 1995. He earned his master's in education in August of 2000 from Western Kentucky.
FORMER MINNESOTA AND BALL STATE ASSISTANT FRESE-ELLIOTT UNITES WITH SISTER AGAIN ON SIDELINES AT UM
The University of Maryland announced Marsha Frese-Elliott as the latest addition to new head coach Brenda Frese's women's basketball staff. Frese-Elliott joins Frese at Maryland after having coached alongside her both at Minnesota and Ball State.
"It's exciting to have Marsha continue alongside with me. We have spent three years together rebuilding two different programs," said Frese of her younger sister. "Marsha is a tireless worker and has had a major impact on our recruiting classes. I know she will make a dramatic impact on this program."
Frese-Elliott is a 1995 graduate of Rice University, where she was a four-year letterwinner for the Owls. Frese-Elliott's resume includes being the assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at both Minnesota and Ball State under Frese. At Minnesota, she coordinated efforts that brought in the No. 15 recruiting class according to Blue Star Basketball, despite the Golden Gophers 8-20 record the previous season. Frese-Elliott also worked with the perimeter players at Minnesota, including third-team All-American and Big Ten player of the year, Lindsay Whalen.
At Ball State, where Frese-Elliott began her career as a Division I women's basketball assistant, she served as the assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for the Cardinals from 1999-2001. At Ball State, she recruited MAC freshman of the year Johna Goff and coached 2000-01 MAC player of the year Ta'Mara Bowie. Frese-Elliott guided the Cardinals' perimeter efforts to a rank of eighth nationally, averaging 7.3 three-pointers per game.
Before she began her coaching career, she was a sports anchor for KALB-TV on Channel 5 in Alexandria, La., from 1996-99. She earned her bachelor's degree in communications from Rice University in 1995. She has experience as a basketball color analyst for both television and radio broadcasts. Prior to her collegiate playing career, Frese-Elliott was named 1990 Miss Iowa Basketball by USA Today and to the Gatorade Circle of Champions. She still ranks among Iowa's all-time leading high school scorers in the five-player game.
FLOYD CAPS OFF TERPS' BENCH STAFF AFTER STOPS AT CLEVELAND STATE, KENT STATE AND MINNESOTA
The Maryland women's basketball team introduced Erica Floyd as one of the Terps' new staff members today. Floyd coached with Terrapin head coach Brenda Frese at Minnesota last season and has also had stints at Cleveland State and Kent State.
At Minnesota, Floyd assisted not only in on- and off- campus recruiting, but also with scouting and film breakdown. The position coach for forwards and centers, she helped guide Big Ten freshman of year Janelle McCarville, and also led the Gophers' community service efforts. Minnesota experienced the biggest one-year turnaround in Big Ten history in Floyd's year there, going 22-8 after inheriting a program that had been 8-20 the previous season.
According to Frese, "Erica is one of the up and coming coaches in the profession. She is a great communicator and will be a tremendous role model for our student-athletes. Erica works extremely hard in everything she does and will make a big difference in Terrapin women's basketball."
She called Cleveland State home from 1998-2001 and served the Viking program in all capacities. Floyd was in charge of coordinating team travel and assisting in recruiting efforts both on and off campus. She continued to lend her experience to the forwards and centers and also aided in monitoring academics, scouting, and coordinated summer camps.
Her first coaching job came at Kent State from 1994-98 where she coached alongside Frese, who was an assistant at the time. A position coach for forwards and centers, she assisted with various aspects of the program including coordinating team travel, scouting and summer camps. A Kent native, she also served as the school's assistant marketing director from 1995-98.
Floyd played at Ohio State from 1989-92, graduating with a bachelor of science in education in 1993. She helped the Buckeyes to a share of the 1989 Big Ten title, and as a captain her senior season was also voted most improved player. Following her senior year of high school, Floyd was named the 1988 Gatorade Ohio high school player of the year.
MARK PEARSON ROUNDS OUT NEW HOOPS STAFFERS AS DIRECTOR OF BASKETBALL OPERATIONS
Maryland head coach Brenda Frese finished-off her staff with the addition of Director of Basketball Operations Mark Pearson. He will oversee the general operations of the basketball program, especially the planning of team travel.
Pearson was also at Minnesota with Frese and handled team travel, scheduling practices, coordinating camps and assisting with community service. His experience before Minnesota was vast and varied, including knowledge of both the business and the coaching worlds.
"Mark has done a remarkable job on handling the day-to-day operations in our office. He will allow us to make a smooth transition here at Maryland," commented Frese. "I am excited that Mark and his family have decided to join us."
Prior to joining the Gophers' athletic department, Pearson spent two years in the sales department of Reuters, Inc., in Ankeny, Iowa. From 1997-99, he was an assistant basketball coach at Iowa Central Community College and was involved in everything from recruiting and scouting, to summer camps, to overseeing student-athletes' academic performances.
He spent two years as an Iowa Central Junior College player before continuing his education at Iowa State, after spending two years at Iowa Central. He served as a graduate assistant and manager of the Cyclone men's basketball team from 1993-97. During that time, Iowa State made three trips to the NCAA Tournament, including a Sweet 16 appearance in 1997.
