FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (May 3, 2014) – University of Notre Dame associate head coach Carol Owens was named the 2014 A Step Up Assistant Coach of the Year, presented by Felicia Hall Allen & Associates. Owens was recognized Saturday morning at the Legends Breakfast of the 2014 A Step Up: Fort Lauderdale 2014 professional development symposium at the Hilton Marina Hotel.

This is the first year the award has been given out at the professional development symposium. Coaches were chosen based on criteria which included team success, team improvement from previous season, fulfillment of team potential, and the professional manner and attitude of the coach. The winners were selected by division one collegiate women’s basketball head coaches and assistant coaches.

“I am shocked but humbled because there are a lot of great assistant coaches out there, “said Owens. “I am work with a great staff and I am fortunate to work with Muffet (McGraw) who is also my mentor. I wouldn’t be a able to have the opportunities I have if it wasn’t for the Notre Dame program and Coach McGraw.”

Widely considered one of the nation’s top assistant and premiere post coach over the last two decades, Owens has spent 14 seasons at Notre Dame, where the fighting Irish have compiled a 390-90 (.812) record, won a national championship (2001), played in the national championship game three times and reached the NCAA Final Four six times.

Owens has also been a standout internationally with USA Basketball. In 2008 she was named 2008 USA Basketball Developmental Coach of the Year. She also captured two gold medals as head coach of the USA’s U18 team in 2008 and U19 team in 2009.

In her tenure at Notre Dame Owens has helped develop careers of several post players including her most recent pupil forward Natalie Achonwa, who averaged 14.9 ppg and 7.7 rpg in her senior season and was selected in the first round of the WNBA draft by the Indiana Fever. Others include Ruth Riley, a three-time All-America selection, 2001 national player of the year and 13-year WNBA veteran where she won two WNBA titles; and Devereaux Peters, current forward with the WNBA Minnesota Lynx, who captured the 2013 WNBA championship.

Away from the court, Owens has been actively involved in the women’s basketball community, serving on the Board of Directors of the Black Coaches Administrators and Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA). In 2012 she was chosen as the BCA president for 2012-13.

2014 Assistant Coach Top 25 List

1. Carol Owens, Notre Dame
2. Nikki McCray, South Carolina
3. Andrew Calder, North Carolina
4. Marlin Chinn, Maryland
5. Chris Dailey, Connecticut
6. Kim Brewton, Middle Tennessee
7. Bob Starkey, Texas A&M
8. Mary Grimes, Albany
9. Dean Lockwood, Tennessee
10. Lisa Boyer, South Carolina
11. Travis Mays, Texas
12. Jolette Law, Tennessee
13. Nikki West, North Carolina State
14. Tia Jackson, Rutgers
15. Tina Langley, Maryland
16. Kelly Bond White, Texas A&M
17. Al Brown, Duke
18. Kia Damon, Penn State
19. Kyra Elzy, Tennessee
20. Jesse Fleming, Bowling Green
21. Stephanie Norman, Louisville
22. Mark Campbell, Oregon State
23. Shea Ralph, Connecticut
24. Charmin Smith, CAL Berkley
25. Amy Tucker, Stanford

Link To Release