Brenda Frese Biography

Brenda Frese accepted the head coaching position for the University of Maryland women's basketball team in April of 2002 because as she put it: "I just really believe there are a certain amount of programs out there that deliver a complete package and you have an opportunity to be a top 10 program. I believe Maryland has that support with the administration. You look around and you see all of the success and you know they've made great decisions."

After five school's in the past ten years and her third as head coach Frese said: "I hope it's my final stop. We have everything here. There's no reason to have to go out. This is the highest level you can coach at. It's the most excited I've been in my coaching profession because this is like cream of the crop."

Its certain the University of Maryland, Athletic Director Deborah A. Yow as well as the Terrapin women's basketball team could not agree with their talented coach more.

The Maryland Terrapin women's basketball program had slipped badly over the last five seasons when compared against their previous success's and there were many under the previous coach. Over the past five seasons however the fact is the Lady Terrapins posted a mediocre 65-79 (.451) season record including a dismal 26-54 (.325) conference mark. A shell of what the proud Maryland women's basketball program once was.

Brenda played her high school basketball in Cedar Rapids, Iowa where she was a letter winner all four seasons. She was an All-State and All-Metro player three consecutive seasons, an honorable mention All-American and member of her high school Iowa state championship team her senior year.

Frese played college basketball for the University of Arizona where she lettered her first three seasons, she was injured her senior season.

Frese began her college coaching career at Kent State starting with the 1993-94 season as an assistant coach. In her two seasons as an assistant coach for the Kent State University Golden Flashes she helped coached them to a 37-18 (.673) record.

From Kent State Frese moved on to Iowa State. Her principal role with the Cyclones was as the recruiting coordinator. Her efforts at ISU helped the Cyclones achieve consecutive postseason NCAA Tournament appearances three seasons running including Iowa State's first-ever appearance in the postseason NCAA "Big Dance."

The Cyclones went to the Elite Eight following the 1998-99 season and achieved a season ending Top 25 national ranking. In her four seasons at ISU the Cyclones record was 84-38 (.689). Anyone familiar with Cyclone basketball history would characterize this stretch as a turnaround of the first magnitude.

Her first opportunity as a head coach came when she accepted the head coaching job at Ball State prior to the 1999-2000 season. In two seasons at the Cardinals helm the team went 35-22 (.614). The Cardinals recorded a school-best 19-9 (.679) record for the 2000-01 season. In her two seasons at Ball State the Cardinals enjoyed only their second ever consecutive winning seasons.

Talk about a turnaround, which by this time was becoming a part of Friese's overall reputation with good cause. Ball State, in the nine seasons before Frese arrived, went 66-169 (.261) averaging only somewhat over seven wins per season representing one of the more abysmal NCAA Division I women's basketball records. Enter Frese and the rest as they say is history.

Frese left Ball State for the University of Minnesota prior to the start of the 2001-02 season. All she did while working as the Golden Gophers mentor was preside over one of the largest single season turnarounds (there's that reputation again) in NCAA history and the biggest one year improvement in Big Ten history. An amazing stat is in this one magical season the Golden Gophers won more games than they had in the previous six seasons combined. The Gophers had recorded a dismal 8-20 (.286) record one short season ago. Enter Frese and her magic (wand).

For the 2001-02 season Frese coached the Golden Gophers to an electrifying 22-8 (.733) mark. The team set a school record for wins and tied for second place in the conference with a remarkable 11-5 (.688) mark. For icing on the cake the team went to the postseason NCAA Tournament for only the second time in the school's history, they advanced to the second round.

The University of Minnesota Golden Gophers women's basketball team during the 2001-02 season under Frese's direction earned the highest national AP raniking in school history being ranked 14th in the latter part of the season. They finished the regular season ranked 18th nationally in the final AP top 25 poll.

At this juncture of her career with three seasons under her belt as an NCAA Division I basketball coach, the owner of Coach of the Year honors from both her tenure at Ball State (Mid-American Conference) and her season at Minnesota (Big Ten Conference), being named AP National Coach of the Year following the 2001-02 season and a stellar 57-30 (.655) record Frese elected to take the University of Maryland head coach of women's basketball position.

Said University of Maryland AD Deborah A. Yow: "Coach Frese has a superb record of achievement as a head coach in two different Division I conferences. She is an overachiever... a dynamic and determined leader as a coach. Over time, she will put our program in a position to compete for the national championship as one of the elite women's basketball programs in the country."

Said Frese, "I am honored to be recognized as the next coach to help lead Maryland women's basketball to be a national level contender. This is a dream and a chance of a lifetime, and I knew it was a special fit. I am looking forward with great enthusiasm to working under the outstanding leadership of Debbie Yow and her staff, and with all the other outstanding coaches and teams at the University of Maryland."

In her first two seasons as the Lady Terrapin mentor Friese and her team has produced a combined 27-30 (.474) record. The Lady Terp's went 10-18 (.357) the first season with Friese at the helm and a remarkable 17-12 (.586) mark and an at-large bid to the postseason NCAA Tournament in just her second season.

If their regular season record wasn't a wakeup call for the competition the Lady Terrapins served notice at the ACC Tournament following the 2003-04 season they were on the way back. For the first time since 1998 Maryland advanced to the semifinals of the tournament.

"I am so proud of our kids," Frese said. "I am so happy for our seniors and our program. It just goes to show that when you have a team that works together and works hard anything is possible."

In typical Brenda Frese fashion she bubbles over when she talks about the 2004-05 edition of the Lady Terrapins with good reason. Long regarded as a top recruiting coach in the nation Frese by most accounts has recruited the second best freshman class in the country for the upcoming season. Four of the nation's top rated players signed a National Letter of Intent to play basketball starting with the 2004-05 season at College Park, home of the Lady Terrapins and Brenda Frese.

Early in the 2004-05 season Frese commented this edition of the team would not consider it good enough to just get to the postseason NCAA Tournament.

Frese acknowledges the team which has four freshmen and four sophmored might take awhile to come together as a unit. However she said: "The sky's the limit for this team; it's just a matter of how quickly we develop and how quickly the chemistry unfolds. I mean, we're starting two freshmen, two sophomores and a senior, so it's a really, really young team."

Frese went on to say: "We can't be content just making the tournament. We're a really young team and to see how far we're able to come together is great. We're playing our best basketball of the season and it is a great time for us to be doing that."

What an exceptional turn of events in such a short period of time, to be talking about not only going to the NCAA "Big Dance" but advancing into the stratosphere of the tournament. When you consider Marylands 65-79 (.451) overall and 26-54 (.325) ACC record over the past five seasons talking about going to the postseason NCAA Tournament almost reaches the height of absurdity.

If her reputation continues to hold true, there is no reason to believe it won't, the 2004-05 season for the University of Maryland Lady Terrapins basketball program could add another layerof lustre to an already extraordinary career.

Frese holds a bachelor's degree in communications from the University of Arizona and a master's degree in athletic administration from Kent State.

Some of her accomplishments include:

High school basketball four year letter winner
All-State three consecutive seasons
All-Metro three consecutive seasons
Honorable mention All-American
Member high school state (Iowa) championship team
University of Arizona guard - lettered three seasons
Assistant basketball coach at Kent State - two seasons
Helped coach Kent State Golden Flashes to a 37-18 (.673) record
Assistant basketball coach at Iowa State University - four seasons
Helped coach ISU Cyclones to an 84-38 (.689) record - four seasons
Helped coach Cyclones to the teams first-ever postseason NCAA Tournament appearance
Helped Iowa State to consecutive postseason NCAA Tournament appearances - three seasons
Cyclones went to their first-ever postseason NCAA Tournament Elite Eight
Helped ISU achieve a season ending Top 25 national ranking
Head coach at Ball State - two seasons
Coached the Ball State Cardinals to a 35-22 (.614) record - two seasons
Coached the Cardinals to a school-best 19-9 (.679) record - 2000-01 season
Coached the Cardinals to only their second ever consecutive winning seasons
Enhanced her "turnaround" reputation - Ball State 66-189 (.261) previous nine seasons
Named Coach of the Year (Mid-American Conference) following 2000-01 season
Coached Minnesota Golden Gophers to one of largest single season turnarounds in NCAA history
Coached Golden Gophers to the biggest one year improvement in Big Ten history
Gophers won more games in her one season at Minnesota than they had won combined the previous six seasons
Another turnaround: 8-20 (.286) previous season - 22-8 (.733) her one season there
Under Frese guidance Gophers set a school record for wins
Frese directed Gophers to second place conference finish 11-5 (.688) record
Frese took Gophers to postseason NCAA Tournament only second time in school history
Frese directed Gophers to postseason AP national ranking of 18th - highest in school history
Named Coach of the Year (Big Ten Conference) following the 2001-02 season
Named AP National Coach of the Year following the 2001-02 season
Second season at University of Maryland the Lady Terrapins went 17-12 (.586) - 2003-04 season
First time since 1998 Maryland advanced to the semifinals of the ACC tournament - following 2003-04 season
Lady Terps earned an at-large bid to postseason NCAA Tournament in her second season - following 2003-04 season
Turnaround - consider Marylands 65-79 (.451) overall and 26-54 (.325) ACC record over past five seasons
Holds a bachelor's degree in communications from the University of Arizona
Earned a master's degree in athletic administration from Kent State