Owens

A STEP UP Announces Carol Owens as Part of Inaugural Assistant Coaches Hall of Fame Class

ROCK HILL, S.C. – A STEP UP, an Assistant Coaches Professional Development Symposium, announced on Tuesday afternoon its inaugural Assistant Coaches Hall of Fame Class. Notre Dame Associate Head Coach Carol Owens was one of the 12 members selected.
 
In May, A STEP UP will celebrate 10 Years of Educating, Equipping, Connecting and Inspiring college assistant basketball coaches at all levels of the game. To commemorate the 10 Year Anniversary, founders Johnny and Felicia Allen, along with their Board of Directors and support from presenting sponsor Glen Wright with Worth Advisors, will celebrate by establishing the A STEP UP Assistant Coaches Hall of Fame. This is the first Hall of Fame of its kind that specifically recognizes NCAA Divisions I, II and III men and women ‘assistant’ basketball coaches.
 
The Class of 2019 includes: Division I Inductees: Donny Daniels (Gonzaga), Chris Dailey (UConn), Mickie DeMoss (Retired), Stan Jones (Florida State), Carol Owens (Notre Dame), Steve Robinson (North Carolina), Dwayne Stephens (Michigan State) and Amy Tucker (Stanford); Division II Inductees: C. White (Bentley) and Dan Shardo (Findlay); Division III Inductees: Arthur Howell (Emmanuel College) and Tom Jessee (Augustana College).
 
“I’m honored and blessed to be in the company of these great assistant coaches,” Owens stated. “I will forever be grateful for Muffet McGraw, who hired me as a young inexperienced coach. She certainly helped me blossom in the profession.”
 
Coach Owens is in the midst of her 19th season at Notre Dame (first stint from 1995-2005, before rejoining for 2010-11 season). During her tenure, the Fighting Irish have gone 554-105, good for an .840 win percentage. The Irish have won two national titles (2001 & 2018), appeared in six NCAA title games and have reached the Final Four eight times, as the latter ranks as the fifth most of any school.
 
Throughout her career at Notre Dame, Coach Owens has had the magic touch when it comes to developing elite post players, with no fewer than six of her pupils (Natalie Achonwa, Jacqueline Batteast, Katryna Gaither, Devereaux Peters, Ruth Riley and Brianna Turner) earning multi-year All-America honors during their college careers.
 
Furthermore, four of her post protégées went on be drafted into the WNBA (Riley, Peters and Batteast all went on to claim WNBA titles), while two more wait in the wing in Turner and Shepard.  
 
Coach Owens has also assisted with the program’s nationally-ranked recruiting efforts, as Notre Dame has attracted 23 consecutive top-20 recruiting classes from 1997-2019.
 
In 1995, Coach Owens was inducted into the Northern Illinois University Athletic Hall of Fame and followed up that honor with her induction into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association (IBCA) Hall of Fame in 2001, and the Illinois High School Hall of Fame in 2014.
 — ND —