After a successful three-year stint at Anderson University, Jeff Dow has been named the head coach of the IUP women's basketball program.
Dow succeeds Cindy Martin, who left IUP in April to become the head coach at Youngstown State. He inherits a program that returns all five starters from a team that set a school record with 27 victories, won its second consecutive ϳԹ State Athletic Conference championship and hosted the NCAA Division II East Region tournament at Memorial Field House.
“I am very pleased to welcome Coach Dow to the university community, and I am confident in his ability to sustain the outstanding record of success of the IUP women's basketball team,” said IUP President Tony Atwater.
The IUP and Indiana community are invited to Memorial Field House on Monday, June 16 beginning at 10 a.m. to meet Dow. Dow and President Atwater will also take part in a news conference at the same time.
“I am extremely excited about becoming a member of the IUP family. This is an exciting time to be around IUP athletics, and it is a great honor to be extended an invitation to be their next head women's basketball coach,” said Dow.
“I have had the opportunity to speak with several members of the team, and we are in unison in our belief that the challenge and motivation for us as a program is to reach the next level' and compete for a berth in the NCAA Elite Eight next season.”
In his time at Anderson, Dow had a record of 79-17 and his teams earned trips to the East Region tournament each season. In 2007-08, the Trojans were 28-4, won the Conference Carolinas regular season title for the second time in three years and defeated Fairmont State in the opening round of the NCAA tournament.
Anderson finished the year in the top 10 in the country in won-loss percentage (0.875), scoring defense (54.9), rebound margin (8.2) and scoring margin (18.4) and was ranked as high as 12th in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association national poll before finishing the year at No. 19. For his team's accomplishments, Dow was selected the Conference Carolinas Coach of the Year.
The Trojans are the only team in the region and one of just eight in the nation to have won a first round NCAA game in each of the past three seasons. During that time, Anderson had a record of 52-8 in Conference Carolinas regular season play, won 40 of 42 home games and advanced to the conference tournament final each year, winning the league title in 2006.
Anderson also had 20-win campaigns in 2005–2006 (27-5) and 2006–2007 (24-8). Among the standouts Dow coached were Deidra Langston, the 2007 Conference Carolinas Player of the Year and Female Athlete of the Year, and Nikki Anthony, who was named the league's top player in 2008.
Langston, Anthony and LaShonda Chiles were All-East Region first team selections and received All-America honors during their careers. Chiles was recognized in Dow's first season at Anderson in 2005–2006 after finishing third in the nation in scoring.
“This was a difficult decision to leave Anderson University. For three years the school did everything that was asked of them to help establish Anderson as one of the elite programs in all of Division II,” said Dow.
“There were several factors that made the IUP position appealing,” continued Dow. “It is obvious that there is a commitment from our upper administration to establish IUP as a first class institution not only in the state but regionally and nationally as well.
“The goal of our program is to produce well-rounded individuals who succeed not only on the court but more importantly academically and with a sense of civic responsibility. While we expect to compete for PSAC championships and experience success in the postseason, everyone associated with the program must remember that we are ambassadors for IUP women's basketball, our athletic department and our university.”
Dow had previous head coaching experience at Texas A&M-Kingsville (1990–1992) and University of Texas-San Antonio (1999–2000). At Kingsville in 1990–1991 he led the Javelinas to a third place finish and a berth in the semifinals of the Lone Star Conference tournament after the team was picked to finish last in the preseason coach's poll.
Dow also has extensive experience on the Division I level as the first assistant at four schools. In 12 seasons at New Mexico State (1992–1996), University of California, Irvine (1996–1999), Santa Clara (2000–2002) and Colorado State (2002–2006), he helped teams earn an overall record of 218-134, a 122-65 mark in conference games and six 20-win seasons.
His teams made five postseason appearances, including four trips to the National Invitation Tournament and a berth in the 2001–2002 NCAA tournament with Santa Clara. Dow was part of staffs that won a pair of regular season conference titles, including 1994–1995 at New Mexico State and 2000–2001 at Santa Clara.
A native of Medford, Ore., Dow earned a bachelor's degree in psychology and physical education from the University of Oregon in 1988 and a master of science from the same school three years later. He stayed at his alma mater at the start of his coaching career, serving as a graduate assistant with the Ducks during the 1989–1990 season.