- Connie Yori
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Connie Yori Sport(s) Basketball Current position Title Head coach Team University of Nebraska Biographical details Born October 3, 1963 Place of birth Des Moines, Iowa Playing career 1982–1986 Creighton University Position(s) Guard Coaching career (HC unless noted) 1986–1989
1990–1992
1992–2002
2002–presentCreighton (Asst.)
Loras College
Creighton
NebraskaHead coaching record Overall 361–257 Accomplishments and honors Championships 2002 MVC regular-season
2002 MVC Tournament
2010 Big 12 regular-seasonAwards 2002 MVC Coach of the Year
2010 Big 12 Coach of the Year
2010 WBCA Region 5 Coach of the Year
2010 Kay Yow Award winner
2010 Naismith College Coach of the YearConnie Yori (born October 3, 1963 in Des Moines, Iowa) is the current head coach of the Nebraska Cornhuskers women's basketball team representing the University of Nebraska in NCAA Division I competition.[1][2][3] She formerly coached Loras College (a Division III school) from 1990–92 and Creighton from 1992–2002. In 2009–10, Yori was named the Naismith College Coach of the Year after guiding Nebraska to a 32–2 record and the school's first-ever trip to the NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship Sweet 16.[2]
Contents
Early life
High school
Yori attended Ankeny High School in Ankeny, Iowa, where she graduated in 1982.[1] In her six-on-six high school basketball career (girls' rules were different back then, using six players instead of five), Yori compiled 3,068 points in her career.[1] In 1980 the Hawkettes were state champions and in 1981 were runners–up. She was also a star softball player, garnering four First Team All-State selections as a shortstop while leading Ankeny to three state championships in 1979, 1980 and 1981.[1] Yori is a two-time inductee into the Iowa Girls' High School Athletic Union Hall of Fame—once as a basketball player, the other as a softball player.[1]
College
Yori attended Creighton University and played basketball for four years. She scored 2,010 points, which ranks third all-time in Bluejays' women's basketball history, and she is also near (or at) the top of numerous other school records as well, resulting in her induction to the Creighton Athletics Hall of Fame and having her jersey number (#25) retired:[1]
- First: Career scoring average (20.3 ppg), points in a game (42), field goals made in a game (20)
- Second: Career field goals made (797), free throws made (416)
- Fourth: Rebounds (746)
- Fifth: Field goal percentage (.542), assists (399)
- Seventh: Blocked shots (69)
Coaching career
Creighton assistant / Loras College (1986–92)
Yori began her coaching career at her alma mater in 1986, the same year she graduated in May 1986 with a bachelor's degree in journalism.[1] After spending three seasons assisting the Bluejays program, Yori moved to Miami, Florida where she earned a master's degree in sports administration from St. Thomas University while serving as the head softball coach for one season.
Yori's first head coaching job was at Loras College, a Division III institution in Dubuque, Iowa. She served there for two years (1990–91 and 1991–92). She compiled records of 10–15 and then 15–10 to bring her two-year stint to a 25–25 overall record (17–19 in conference play).[1]
Creighton (1992–2002)
In 1992–93, Yori secured the head coaching job back at Creighton after her former coach and mentor, Bruce Rasmussen, accepted an associate director position at the school. She had immediate success in her first season as she led the Bluejays to the school's second-ever NCAA Tournament appearance, earning the 10th-seed in the Midwest Region. Creighton would lose to eventual national champion Texas in the second round.[1]
Despite a 24–7 overall record (12–4 in conference play) in 1993–94, Yori's second, the Bluejays did not get invited to a postseason tournament. It would be Yori's personally best season as head coach until her final year with Creighton in 2001–02. That season, Creighton once again compiled a 24–7 overall record (16–2 conference) to claim the 2002 Missouri Valley Conference regular-season and tournament championships.[1] The Bluejays, seeded 12th in the Mideast Region, would lose to Florida International University in the first round 73–58.
Nebraska (2002–present)
The Cornhuskers struggled mightily in Yori's first season as head coach in 2002–03. They finished the season last in the Big 12 Conference (12th place) and recorded an 8–20 overall record (1–15 conference).[4] The following season, Nebraska had a 10-game turnaround as they finished 18–12 (7–9). They were invited to the Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT) where they made it to the second round.[4] Over the course of the next five seasons, Nebraska compiled an overall record of 95–65 (41–39), never placing higher than 4th in the conference.[4] Yori led them to two NCAA Tournaments (2007, 2008) but did not make it past the first or second round, respectively.[4]
2009–10 season
Main article: 2009–10 Nebraska Cornhuskers women's basketball teamThe 2009–10 season was the most successful year in the Nebraska women's basketball program's history. After finishing the 2008–09 campaign with a 15–16 (6–10, T-7th) record, the Cornhuskers rolled through the 2009–10 season with an undefeated 29–0 (16–0) regular season, becoming the first team in Big 12 history to record an unbeaten regular season, and only the second to record a perfect conference record.[1] They won their first regular season conference title, but were upset by Texas A&M in the Big 12 Tournament semifinals.
Nebraska was unranked in every preseason poll, but at the season's end were #4 in both the Associated Press and Coaches' Polls. They had never even been ranked in the top 10 before, but spent the last nine weeks of the regular season in the top 10, peaking at #3 for a time.[1] Yori guided the Cornhuskers to the program's first-ever #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. After posting 83–44 and 83–70 victories over Northern Iowa and UCLA, respectively, Nebraska advanced to the Sweet 16 for the first time in school history. They were then upset by the 4th-seeded Kentucky Wildcats, 76–67, where their season would end at 32–2.[1][4]
After shattering the old program record of 23 for wins in a season, and for Nebraska's 15-game turnaround, Yori received the Big 12 Conference, WBCA Region 5, U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) and Naismith Coach of the Year awards.[5] She was also named the inaugural winner of the Kay Yow National Coach of the Year Award, which is given to the women's college basketball head coach in NCAA Division I competition who displays great character both on and off the court.[2][3] Yori was awarded the US Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) Coach of the Year award.
Head coaching record
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason Loras Duhawks (Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) (1990–1992) 1990–91 Loras 10–15 7–11 1991–92 Loras 15–10 10–8 Loras: 25–25 18–19 Creighton Bluejays (Missouri Valley Conference) (1992–2002) 1992–93 Creighton 20–8 12–4 T–2nd NCAA 2nd Round 1993–94 Creighton 24–7 14–2 2nd 1994–95 Creighton 18–9 12–6 4th 1995–96 Creighton 15–13 10–8 T–4th 1996–97 Creighton 8–19 7–11 8th 1997–98 Creighton 16–12 11–7 3rd 1998–99 Creighton 16–14 9–9 7th 1999–2000 Creighton 12–15 7–11 6th 2000–01 Creighton 17–11 11–7 4th 2001–02 Creighton 24–7 16–2 1st NCAA 1st Round Creighton: 170–115 109–67 Nebraska Cornhuskers (Big 12 Conference) (2002–present) 2002–03 Nebraska 8–20 1–15 12th 2003–04 Nebraska 18–12 7–9 7th WNIT 2nd Round 2004–05 Nebraska 18–14 8–8 6th WNIT 2nd Round 2005–06 Nebraska 19–13 8–8 6th WNIT 3rd Round 2006–07 Nebraska 22–10 10–6 T–4th NCAA 1st Round 2007–08 Nebraska 21–12 9–7 6th NCAA 2nd Round 2008–09 Nebraska 15–16 6–10 T–7th WNIT 1st Round 2009–10 Nebraska 32–2 16–0 1st NCAA Sweet Sixteen 2010–11 Nebraska 13–18 3–13 12th Nebraska (Big 12): 166–117 68–76 Nebraska Cornhuskers (Big Ten Conference) (2011–present) 2011–12 Nebraska 0–0 0–0 Total: 361–257 National Champion Conference Regular Season Champion Conference Tournament Champion
Conference Regular Season & Conference Tournament Champion Conference Division ChampionReferences
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Connie Yori". Coach biography. University of Nebraska. http://www.huskers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=100&ATCLID=1359. Retrieved 18 April 2010.
- ^ a b c Associated Press (3 April 2010). "Yori, not Auriemma, coach of the year". ESPN. http://sports.espn.go.com/ncw/news/story?id=5053115. Retrieved 18 April 2010.
- ^ a b Associated Press (6 April 2010). "Nebraska's Connie Yori wins first Kay Yow Award". USA Today. http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/womensbasketball/2010-04-06-2253627358_x.htm. Retrieved 18 April 2010.
- ^ a b c d e "Nebraska Coaching Records" (PDF). 2009–10 Nebraska Cornhuskers Women's Basketball Media Guide. University of Nebraska. 2009. http://www.huskers.com//pdf4/647974.pdf. Retrieved 18 April 2010.
- ^ "USBWA WOMEN'S HONORS". USBWA. http://www.sportswriters.net/usbwa/awards/women/index.html. Retrieved 8 May 2010.
External links
Creighton Bluejays women's basketball head coaches Eddye McClure (1973–1976) • Gaye Kinnett (1976–1979) • Howard Faber (1979–1980) • Bruce Rasmussen (1980–1992) • Connie Yori (1992–2002) • Jim Flanery (2002– )
Nebraska Cornhuskers women's basketball head coaches Jan Callahan (1974–1975) • George Nicodemus (1975–1977) • Marcia Walker (1977–1978) • Lorrie Gallagher (1978–1980) • Colleen Matsuhara (1980–1983) • Kelly Hill (1983–1986) • Angela Beck (1986–1997) • Paul Sanderford (1997–2002) • Connie Yori (2002– )
Current women's basketball head coaches of the Big Ten Conference Jolette Law (Illinois) • Felisha Legette-Jack (Indiana) • Lisa Bluder (Iowa) • Kevin Borseth (Michigan) • Suzy Merchant (Michigan State) • Pam Borton (Minnesota) • Connie Yori (Nebraska) • Joe McKeown (Northwestern) • Jim Foster (Ohio) • Coquese Washington (Penn State) • Sharon Versyp (Purdue) • Bobbie Kelsey (Wisconsin)
Connie Yori – championships, awards and honors Naismith College Coaches of the Year Men's coaches 1987: Knight | 1988: Brown | 1989: Krzyzewski | 1990: Cremins | 1991: Ayers | 1992: Krzyzewski | 1993: D. Smith | 1994: Richardson | 1995: Harrick | 1996: Calipari | 1997: Williams | 1998: Guthridge | 1999: Krzyzewski | 2000: Montgomery | 2001: Barnes | 2002: Howland | 2003: T. Smith | 2004: Martelli | 2005: Weber | 2006: Wright | 2007: Bennett | 2008: Calipari | 2009: Dixon | 2010: Boeheim | 2011: Fisher
Women's coaches 1987: Summitt | 1988: Barmore | 1989: Summitt | 1990: VanDerveer | 1991: Ryan | 1992: Weller | 1993: Stringer | 1994: Summitt | 1995: Auriemma | 1996: Landers | 1997: Auriemma | 1998: Summitt | 1999: Peck | 2000: Auriemma | 2001: McGraw | 2002: Auriemma | 2003: Goestenkors | 2004: Summitt | 2005: Chatman | 2006: Hatchell | 2007: Goestenkors | 2008: Auriemma | 2009: Auriemma | 2010: Yori | 2011: VanDerveer
Kay Yow Award winners 2010: Yori | 2011: Bollant
USBWA Women's National Coach of the Year Award winners 1990: VanDerveer | 1991: Ryan | 1992: Weller | 1993: Foster | 1994: Barry | 1995: Auriemma | 1996: Barmore | 1997: Larry | 1998: Summitt | 1999: Peck | 2000: Landers | 2001: McGraw | 2002: Frese | 2003: Auriemma | 2004: Curl | 2005: Chatman | 2006: Hatchell | 2007: Goestenkors | 2008: Auriemma | 2009: Auriemma | 2010: Yori | 2011: Mulkey
Associated Press College Women's Basketball Coach of the Year winners Categories:- 1963 births
- Living people
- Basketball players from Iowa
- Creighton Bluejays women's basketball coaches
- Creighton Bluejays women's basketball players
- Nebraska Cornhuskers women's basketball coaches
- Parade High School All-Americans (girls' basketball)
- People from Des Moines, Iowa
- St. Thomas University alumni
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