USD Women's Basketball 2005-2006

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2005-06 San Diego Women's Basketball

Cindy Fisher Head Coach 1st season at USO

Cindy Fisher was named the University of San Diego head women's basketball coach on April 19, 2005, as announced by Ky Snyder, USD's Executive Director of Athletics. Fisher, Nebraska's top assistant the past two seasons, and head coach for Wyoming between 1998-2003, becomes USD's third head coach dating back to the program's inception in 1978-79. She takes

over for Kathy Marpe who stepped down after directing the program for 25 years. "We are very excited to have Cindy Fisher join our program," said Ky Snyder, Executive Director of Athletics. "Cindy has demonstrated the ability to turn a program around and she has done so while emphasizing academic success. She is a true proponent of the student-athlete and we believe she can lead our program on a campaign to win the West Coast Conference Championship."

Fisher, 40, helped lead Nebraska to back-to-back appearances in the WNIT during her two seasons with the Huskers. In 2004-05 the team finished 18-14 overall and 8-8 in the Big 12. The Huskers recorded the program's first win over a top 5 team with its 103-99 victory over eventual NCAA National Champion Baylor in January of 2005. They also posted Big 12 wins over No. 14 Iowa State and Oklahoma, both NCAA Tournament participants. Fisher recruited and coached Big 12 Newcomer of the Year, Jelena Spiric, and recruited and developed post player, Danielle Page, who earned Big 12 Rookie of the Week honors twice. "I am excited, ecstatic about the opportunity to lead this program,".commented Fisher at the press conference announcing her as the Toreros' head coach. "The one thing that I know (the players) can count on from me is that I wi ll embrace all of them with open arms. The things you can expect from this is going to be a strong work ethic from myself, my staff and my team... a deep passion for the game of basketball and building this into something we can be very proud of." "When I decided to go back into pursuing a head coaching position , I talked significantly about being a part of a program that I believe in 100 percent. That is a program that I can sell to student-athletes, not only academically, personal growth , but to put ourselves in a position to win championships. I think all of those things can be done at the University of San Diego." During the 2003-04 campaign the Huskers finished 18-12 overall and produced one of the top 10 turnarounds in NCAA Division I women's basketball with 10 more victories. The team earned two wins over top 25 teams; the team cracked the top 25 national rankings for the first time since 1999; and the 2004 recruiting class was ranked 28th nationally. In five seasons as the head coach at Wyoming, Fisher compiled a 59-81 record . However, Fisher's accomplishments at Wyoming go well beyond her overall coaching record . Fisher's Cowgirl teams showed improvement in each of her five seasons, culminating with an 18-12 mark in 2002-03. The 18 wins were the school's most victories since 1989-90. She also led the Cowgirls to their first postseason appearance since 1989-90 with a trip to the 2003 WNIT, where Wyoming notched a first-round win over Montana. The WNIT win over Montana marked the first postseason victory in Wyoming women's basketball history. Her 2001-2002 team at Wyoming finished No. 1 in the country in academic excellence with a team GPA of 3.486.

"The ' Torero' represents courage, honor and fidelity and those three characteristics you will see in our teams and our staff," added Fisher. "I am excited about where this is going. I am going to embrace the community, the University and I am excited to be your head women's basketball coach." Before taking the job at Wyoming, Fisher spent three seasons as an assistant coach at Old Dominion . She served as the Lady Monarchs' recruiting coordinator and scheduling coordinator and prepared scouting reports while also acting as the team's public relations liaison. During her three-year stint, ODU compiled a 92-8 record, including a 34-win season and a pair of 29-win seasons. Old Dominion advanced to the national championship game in 1997, and qualified for the Sweet 16 in each of her three seasons. Fisher also built up her coaching resume with stops at Weber State (1994-95), Mesa CC in Arizona (1988-90; 1993-94), and Illinois State (1992-93; graduate assistant, 1990-92). From Cheyenne, Wyoming, Fisher was a three-year starter at Cheyenne Central High School, before competing at Eastern Wyoming College in Torrington. Her career was cut short by a hip injury, but she earned her associate's degree in 1984. She transferred to Arizona State and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Education with an emphasis in Exercise Physiology in 1988. After graduation, she served as a physical education instructor at Mesa Community College from 1988 to 1990, before completing her Master's Degree in Physical Education with an emphasis in Administration of Sport at Illinois State in 1992.

Fisher's Division I Coaching File Year School Record

Postseason

2004-05 2003-04 2002-03 2001-02 2000-01 1999-00 1997-98 1996-97 199!5°96 1994-95 1992-93

Nebraska* Nebraska* WYOMING WYOMING WYOMING WYOMING

18-14 18-12 18-12 13-15 11-17 10-18

WNIT 1-1 WNIT 1-1 WNIT 1-1

1998-99 WYOMING

7-19 29-3 34-2 29-3

Old Dominion* Old Dominion* Old Dominion* Weber State* lllinios State*

NCAA Sweet 16 NCAA Runner-Up NCAA Sweet 16

11-16

Head Coach at Wyoming

59-81 (5 yrs)

Conference at Wyoming (MWC)

22-48

*assistant coach