Northern Illinois' Carol Owens Returns To Head USA 2009 Women's U19 World Championship Team

-- Florida's Amanda Butler, Iowa State's Bill Fennelly To Serve As Assistant Coaches --

Colorado Springs, Colo. - April 23, 2009

Back after leading the USA to gold at the 2008 FIBA Americas U18 Championship, Northern Illinois University head coach Carol Owens has been selected to head up the 2009 USA Basketball Women's U19 World Championship Team coaching staff. Collegiate head coaches Amanda Butler of the University of Florida and Bill Fennelly of Iowa State University will serve as assistants. Two-time defending FIBA U19 World Championship gold medalists, the USA will look to capture its third straight gold medal at the 2009 FIBA U19 World Championship, scheduled for July 23 " Aug. 3 in Bangkok, Thailand. Coaching staff selections were made by the USA Basketball Women's Junior National Team Committee, chaired by NCAA representative Sue Donohoe (Vice President for Division I Women's Basketball).

-I'm really excited," said Owens. -I had an opportunity to be an assistant with the last U19 team and Doug Bruno and I had an awesome experience. The competition is really good and it'll be a tough road for us, but I'm really looking forward to this challenge. I know we're going to have a very good team and be ready to compete. All in all, I'm really excited and honored to be coaching the U19 team."

-Carol Owens and Bill Fennelly worked with this group last summer and did a tremendous job with what could be the core of this year's team," said Donohoe. -They, along with Amanda Butler, are talented coaches who know how to mold a group of individuals into a single, hard-working unit. The Committee feels that this coaching staff has what it takes to continue our gold medal run at the U19 World Championship."

-I feel very fortunate to be able to work with both Bill Fennelly and Amanda Butler," continued Owens. -Bill and I worked together last summer and he was a huge help. His knowledge and experience in the game that he brought to the team, the input that he gave, really helped me. The addition of Amanda Butler, I know she's going to be huge. I know she's excited, I'm excited. I've watched her coach her team at Florida and I've heard a lot of great things about her and I'm really excited to be working with both of them. I think we have a great staff.

-I always think the USA's chance of winning gold is good. Obviously most of the group that played last year will be trying out and I have faith in our committee that they'll assemble a great group that will be competitive, that will compete at a high level against some very good teams at the U19 World Championship."

Owens returns for her fourth USA Basketball stint, having served as head coach for the 2008 USA U18 National Team that went 5-0, captured the gold medal at the 2008 FIBA Americas U18 Championship and qualified the U.S. for this summer's competition. Previously she was an assistant coach to DePaul University's Doug Bruno and the 2006 USA U18 National Team and 2007 USA U19 World Championship Team, both of which compiled unblemished records en route to gold medals.

An assistant on last summer's USA U18 National Team staff, this marks Fennelly's second USA Basketball assignment, while this will be the first time Butler walks the USA Basketball sidelines.

Trials to select finalists for the ‘09 U19 squad will be held May 14-17 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. Training camp will begin on July 8 in Colorado Springs, and the eventual 12-member roster will be announced prior to the team departing for Thailand.

The 2009 FIBA U19 World Championship features 16 national teams comprised of athletes 19-years-old or younger (born on or after Jan. 1, 1990) that that qualified through their FIBA zone tournaments. Included in the field of nations are: Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, Czech Republic, France, Japan, Lithuania, Mali, Russia, South Korea, Spain, Thailand, Tunisia and the USA.

After coming up short in the medal count in the first three FIBA U19 World Championships, the U.S. has been on the podium in each of the last four competitions, winning gold in 1997, bronze in 2001 and gold in 2005 and 2007, compiling a 29-2 slate during that run.

In addition to Donohoe, the USA Basketball Junior National Team Committee, formerly known as the Women's Collegiate Committee, includes NCAA appointees Joanne Boyle (head coach, University of California), Coquese Washington (head coach, Penn State University) and Connie Yori (head coach, University of Nebraska); and Athlete Representative Beth Cunningham (head coach, Virginia Commonwealth University), a member of the 1999 USA Pan American Games Team.

FIBA U19 World Championship
Originally known as the FIBA Junior World Championship, the tournament was held every four years starting in 1985. FIBA changed its calendar and, as of 2005, the U19 World Championship is now conducted every other year. USA women's teams are 41-10 in the U19/Junior World Championships and have won a record three gold medals and one bronze medal. The U.S. captured gold most recently with a 9-0 record in 2007.

Some notable athletes who have competed on past USA U19/Junior World Championship Teams are: Angela Aycock (1993); Alana Beard (2001); Essence Carson (2005); Tamika Catchings (1997); Monique Currie (2001); Crystal Langhorne (2005); Erlana Larkins (2005); Lisa Leslie (1989); Rebecca Lobo (1993); Maya Moore (2007); Vickie Orr (1985); Courtney Paris (2005); Cappie Pondexter (2001); Katie Smith (1993); Dawn Staley (1989); Ann Strother (2001); Diana Taurasi (2001); Abby Waner (2005) and Candice Wiggins (2005).

Carol Owens
The 2008 USA Basketball Developmental Coach of the Year, Owens returns to the USA Basketball sideline having previously served on three gold medal winning USA staffs. In her first assignment in 2006, she assisted the USA Women's U18 National Team to a perfect 4-0 record and gold medal at the 2006 FIBA Americas U18 Championship in Colorado Springs, Colo. That first place finish qualified the USA to compete in the 2007 U19 FIBA World Championship, where she was again an assistant. The 2007 USA U19 women compiled a 9-0 tally and collected the gold medal at the World Championship in Bratislava, Slovakia. Her first USA Basketball head coaching assignment came the following summer with the 2008 USA U19 National Team.

Owens donned a USA Basketball jersey as a 1989 USA Basketball Women's National Team Trials participant and as co-captain of the North squad that captured the silver medal at the 1986 U.S. Olympic Festival.

The 2008-09 season, during which the Huskies posted a 15-15 record, marked Owens' fourth season (2005-06 to present) at Northern Illinois, where she has compiled a career record of 56-52.

In 2006-07, Owens led Northern Illinois to the program's best season since 2001-02, posting a 19-12 tally overall and an 8-8 slate in Mid-American Conference (MAC) play.

In her first season as head coach at Northern Illinois, 2005-06, Owens led her squad to a 12-17 overall record and 7-9 for league play, improvements on the previous year's 7-21 and 4-12 records.

Prior to arriving at NIU, Owens spent 10 seasons (1995-96 through 2004-05) as an assistant at the University of Notre Dame. Owens helped coach five Fighting Irish players who went on to gain USA Basketball experience, including 2004 Olympic gold medalist Ruth Riley. Owens helped Notre Dame reach 10 NCAA Tournaments, six Sweet Sixteens, two Final Fours and the program's first national championship in 2001. During her tenure, Notre Dame compiled a record of 252-75 (.771 winning percentage).

As a player at Northern Illinois, Owens was a member of the team that gained the school's first NCAA Tournament berth in 1990. The first male or female in school history to reach the 2,000 career point/1,000 career rebound mark, Owens was MVP of a team that won the North Star Conference (NSC) regular season championship and advanced to the 1990 NCAA Tournament second round.

Owens was a two-time Kodak District Four All-American (1989 and 1990), a United States Basketball Writers Association District Four All-American (1990), the North Star Player of the Year (1990), a three-year All-NSC first team pick (1988-90) and a three-time Huskie captain.

She graduated with 13 school records, including career highs for points (2,102), field goals made (818), blocked shots (244); a single-season record for steals (86); and single-game records for points (41), field goals made (16), field goal percentage (.917), steals (11) and blocked shots (7).

Owens was enshrined into the Northern Illinois University Athletics Hall of Fame in 1995 and the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2001. She played professional basketball overseas from 1990 through 1993 in Japan, Spain and Italy.

Amanda Butler
-It's an overwhelming honor just to be considered and to be in that conversation of possibilities and to actually be selected, for me it's staggering," said Butler. -It's something I'm very excited about and something I'm looking forward to. I'm going to put every ounce of energy and effort I can into it in making sure we handle our business.

-Carol Owens is someone whose reputation precedes her, everyone recognizes her in the basketball community as an outstanding individual and someone who contributed to one of the most successful eras in Notre Dame history. Bill Fennelly's resume speaks for itself as well, especially with this year's team's success. It was a historic year for their programs. Both of them are great individuals who are very, very talented coaches and I've enjoyed the small bit of time I've had to share with them and I think there will be great chemistry between the three of us."

Having recently concluded her second season as Florida's head coach, Butler made an immediate impact on her alma mater, inheriting a program that won just nine games in the season prior to her arrival. In 2007-08, her first season at Florida's helm, Butler guided the Gators to a 19-14 mark and the WNIT Round of Sixteen. Not only was it one of the biggest turnarounds of the year nationally, the 19 victories tied as the most wins posted by a first-year Florida coach in program history.

In 2008-09, Butler continued on her quest to return Florida to a powerhouse program and piloted the Gators to a 24-8 slate and the NCAA Tournament, falling to eventual champion University of Connecticut in the second round.

A four-year letterwinner (1990-91 through 1993-94) and two-year assistant coach (1995-96 and 1996-97) for the Gators, Butler circled back to Gainesville after stints at Austin Peay State University (1997-98 through 2000-01) and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (2001-02 through 2005-06).

Butler started at Charlotte in 2001-02 as an assistant coach for two seasons before being elevated to associate head coach for two years. She took over the 49er program in 2005-06 and in her first year as head coach posted a 21-9 record, led the team to a share of the Atlantic 10 Conference regular season title and earned a spot in 2006 WNIT. For her efforts, Butler was awarded the A-10 Conference Coach of the Year award. In her second year at the 49ers' helm, Butler led her squad to a 19-13 mark and the 2007 WNIT second round.

In all, as a head coach Butler has accumulated an overall record of 83-44 for a 65.4 winning percentage and advanced teams to postseason play in each of her four years.

As an assistant coach with Florida, Butler aided teams to the 1996 NCAA Tournament and 1997 NCAA Elite Eight as the Gators posted a 45-18 record (.714 winning percentage) during her two-year span.

During her four years at Austin Peay, Butler helped coach the program to its first NCAA appearance and first Ohio Valley Conference Tournament title since 1996. Following two rebuilding years, Austin Peay in 1999-2000 posted a 15-15 mark before the 2001-02 team went 17-14, earned the OVC Tournament crown and advanced to the NCAA Tournament.

Moving to Charlotte, Butler in three of her four seasons as an assistant aided the 49ers to postseason berths, including the 2004 and 2005 WNIT and the 2003 NCAA Tournament. Additionally, the 2002-03 Charlotte squad captured the Conference USA regular-season title.

Bill Fennelly
-Professionally, to represent USA Basketball and Iowa State University is as good as it gets," said Fennelly. -I am honored and humbled to again have the opportunity to coach with USA Basketball at the U19 World Championship. I had a great time working with head coach Carol Owens last summer, and I thought she did a wonderful job of leading the team to the gold medal. I am also looking forward to working with Amanda Butler who is without a doubt one of the bright young coaches in the country."

Fennelly has spent 14 seasons (1995-96 to present) as head women's basketball coach at Iowa State, where he has compiled a 307-141 record (.685 winning percentage) and led the Cyclones to 12 postseason tournaments. Most recently Fennelly piloted the Cyclones to a 27-9 mark and the 2009 Elite Eight for the second time in school history. The 29 victories also tied the program's record for number of wins as Fennelly posted his ninth 20-win season in Ames.

Including seven seasons (1988-89 to 1994-95) as the head mentor at The University of Toledo (Ohio), Fennelly owns 21 seasons as a collegiate head coach. He has tallied a career slate of 473-194, and his 70.9 winning percentage ranks among the top 25 active winningest Division I coaches. In a combined 21 seasons at Iowa State and Toledo, Fennelly has 15 times posted a 20-win season.

In his first year at Iowa State in 1995-96, Fennelly took over a program that had recorded just five winning seasons in its 22-year history. He has since led the Cyclones to 10 NCAA Tournaments, including the 2009 and 1999 NCAA Elite Eight, the Sweet Sixteen in 2000 and 2001 and the second round in 1998, 2002, 2007 and 2008. Additionally, he led his team to the Women's National Invitational Tournament Final Four in 2004 and the WNIT second round in 2006.

Fennelly is a three-time finalist for the Naismith Coach of the Year Award (2001, 2002 and 2005), and his peers have twice voted him WBCA District 5 Coach of the Year (1999 and 2005).

His 15 seasons with the Cyclones are highlighted by the only two Big 12 Tournament titles in school history, captured in 2000 and 2001, and the program's best record of 27-6, also recorded in 2000 and 2001.

Fennelly came to ISU from Toledo, where he compiled a seven-year record of 166-53 (.758). His list of accomplishments at Toledo include six 20-plus win seasons and six postseason tournament berths. He guided the Rockets to three NCAA Tournament appearances, as well as second, third and fifth place finishes in the WNIT. In 2003, he was inducted into the Toledo Varsity 'T' Hall of Fame.

A native of Davenport, Iowa, Fennelly accumulated 12 years of collegiate experience as an assistant coach prior to accepting his first head coaching position, including positions at his alma mater William Penn College (1977-1981), Fresno State University (1982-1986) and the University of Notre Dame (1987 and 1988).