May 1, 2006
COLLEGE PARK, Md. -
A fixture on the bench alongside Maryland head coach Brenda Frese, Jeff Walz has been promoted to associate head coach of the National Champion Terrapin women's basketball team, Frese announced. A coaching veteran, Walz has over 11 years of coaching experience and has been a valuable member of her staff for the last five years. Walz is involved with all aspects of the program, including coaching, recruiting and scouting.
"I am pleased to announce Jeff to the title of Associate Head Coach. Over the past five years of working with him, he has proven to be valuable member of our staff," said head coach Brenda Frese. "Our players have benefited so much from his teachings and his knowledge of the game. Jeff continues to represent our program with the utmost professionalism and his tireless work ethic continues to make our team be the best it can be. I look forward to working with him as we defend our National Championship."
"I am honored Brenda would consider me for the position of Associate Head Coach. We have worked very well together over the past five years and it has been exciting to see the growth of the Maryland program," said Walz. "I'm proud to be a part of this program and to work with such special people. I have no doubt we will all continue to work hard on the court and in recruiting to keep this team competing for national championships every year."
A native of Fort Thomas, Ky., Walz has been a vital part of the rebuilding of the Maryland women's basketball program. During his tenure, the Terps have seen marked improvements, leading to the program's first national title this season and its first No. 1 ranking in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches Poll. After posting a 10-18 record during their first year in College Park, Maryland has had three-straight winning seasons, including a 34-4 performance this year, the program's first-ever 30-win campaign. The Terps have finished with at least a .500 record in ACC play in each of the last three seasons and finished in third place or better twice.
Walz's teachings on the court have been evident on the stats sheet. The Terps' scoring has improved from 67.4 points per game to 83.3 ppg this season, the second-highest scoring average in the nation and the second-best in program history. Maryland's rebounding efforts have also drastically improved over the four years Frese and Walz have been on the sidelines, from 39.0 to 45.3 rpg. The Terps led the nation in rebounding margin this season at +11.9 rpg.
Walz has helped to lure a number of the top recruits in the nation to College Park, as well. Maryland has signed three-straight top-10 recruiting classes, including two rated in the top five. Those recruits have gone on to earn back-to-back ACC Rookie of the Year honors (Crystal Langhorne `05, Marissa Coleman `06) and six All-ACC honorees.
Prior to coming to Maryland, Walz joined Frese at Minnesota for one season during the 2001-02 campaign. He helped revitalize a Minnesota program, posting a 10-win improvement in Big Ten play, the biggest one-year improvement in Big Ten history. The Gophers also achieved its highest ranking in school history to that point when they were rated No. 14 in the Associated Press poll.
Walz began his collegiate coaching career as an assistant coach at Western Kentucky from 1995-1997. He went on to become an assistant coach at Nebraska for four years from 1997-2001 where he was in charge of conducting individual development workouts, as well as opponent scouting by the end of his tenure. During that time he helped to guide the Huskers to a school-record three-straight NCAA Tournament appearances and also coached the L.A. Sparks' No. 1 draft pick in the 2000 WNBA Draft, Nicole Kubik.
Walz's coaching career began at the middle and high school levels in 1992 and was an AAU coach from 1995-96. During his career, he has mentored such players as 1999 NCAA Champion and WNBA standout Ukari Figgs, 2002 Big Ten Player of the Year and WNBA All-Star Lindsay Whalen, the University of Tennessee's Kyra Elzy, who is a two-time NCAA Champion, 1996 National High School Player of the Year Jaime Walz.
A 1995 graduate of Northern Kentucky with a degree in secondary education, Walz also earned a master's in education from his Western Kentucky in 2000. He currently resides in Crofton, Md., with his wife, Kim, and his newborn baby, Kaeley Thöney.
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