Coale Officially WBCA President

Aug. 1, 2007

NORMAN, Okla. - As of the morning of August 1, Oklahoma head coach Sherri Coale officially began a two-year appointment as the acting president of the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA).

Coale has been serving in a similar capacity since the spring meetings at the Final Four in Cleveland. She is currently in Atlanta for the annual summer meetings at the organization's headquarters. The annual meetings will conclude on Thursday afternoon (Aug. 2).

Coale was the vice president under DePaul head coach and former WBCA president Doug Bruno for the last two years.

"This is a tremendous privilege and responsibility," said Coale. "The leadership of past president Bruno and the board has clearly positioned the WBCA to carry our sport into the future."

"Women's basketball is more popular than ever and we continue to grow and spread our influence throughout the country. It is an important time in the evolution of the sport and I'm honored to be a voice in that process."

Coale has already appointed Tom Collen (Arkansas) to oversee Male Coaches of Women's Basketball and Carmen Dolfo (Western Washington) Division II/Group II.

Other newly elected members include Sue Semrau, Florida State University (Division I/At Large); Charlene Thomas-Swinson, University of Tulsa (Black Coaches Administrators); and Charli Turner Thorne, Arizona State University (Division I/At Large).

Geno Auriemma will also continue his stint on the board of directors as the newly elected vice president, placing him on the executive committee. Joining Auriemma on the executive committee will be Terri Mitchell, Marquette University, who will assume duties as treasurer.

"It is truly an honor to have the opportunity to positively affect the future of the sport of women's basketball with such an all-star cast of coaches," Coale said. "The WBCA has grown stronger in the areas that support and sustain its vision while developing significant changes that influence how we conduct our business. I look forward to the challenges and opportunities that we will face together."

The WBCA board of directors develops policies, procedures and regulations for the operation of the organization. They also monitor the organization's financial health, programs and overall performance and provide the chief executive officer with the resources to meet the needs of those the organization serves.

Founded in 1981, the WBCA promotes women's basketball by unifying coaches at all levels to develop a reputable identity for the sport and to foster and promote the development of the game in all of its aspects as a sport for women and girls. For more information about the WBCA, please visit http://www.wbca.org.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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