WSC Women's Basketball Camps - Wayne State College

WSC Women's Basketball Camps

Head Coach Chris Kielsmeier

Wayne State College director of athletics Eric Schoh announced today that Chris Kielsmeier (prounounced keels-my-ur) has been hired as head women’s basketball coach at Wayne State College. Kielsmeier, who begins his duties at WSC on May 19, replaces Ryun Williams, who resigned after 10 seasons to become the new head coach at the University of South Dakota.

“We are excited to have Chris joining the Wildcat family,” remarked Schoh. “He is a proven winner and we’re confident he will continue the tradition of winning that is associated with our women’s basketball program.”

Kielsmeier comes to Wayne State after serving eight years as head coach at Howard Payne University in Brownwood, Texas, an NCAA Division III school. He compiled an impressive 179-44 record as head coach and led the Lady Jackets to a 33-0 record and the NCAA Division III National Championship this past season. Kielsmeier was named the WBCA South Region and National Coach of the Year and just last week was named the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches Small College Coach of the Year. He was the winningest women’s basketball coach in Howard Payne Univeristy history.

“I am extremely excited about becoming a member of the Wildcat family,” commented Kielsmeier. “From the time I arrived on campus, I felt the family atmosphere. I look forward to continuing the success of the Wayne State College women’s basketball program and working hard to take it to another level.”

Kielsmeier is a native of Iowa, graduating from Hubbard-Radcliffe High School and he is a 1999 graduate of Iowa State University. He served as the intern for the women’s basketball program at Iowa State under head coach Bill Fennelly and then became the assistant women’s basketball coach at Howard Payne in the 1999-2000 season before taking over as the head coach in 2000.

While coaching at Howard Payne, Coach Kielsmeier has developed a trademark of stellar defense. Over the last seven years, opponents have shot just 34 percent from the field while ranking as one of the top defenses in the nation. Kielsmeier’s team ranked fourth in scoring defense this season (47.5) and led NCAA Division III in scoring defense in 2006-07 allowing just 44.2 points per game.

Kielsmeier has coached 40 American Southwest Conference All-Conference players, 2 ASC Freshmen of the Year, 40 All-Academic selections and two All-Americans. In 2006-07, Howard Payne University set a new NCAA Division III women’s basketball attendance record with 4,011 during a NCAA Division III national tournament game played in Brownwood, Texas vs. Chapman University.

Wayne State College recorded a 22-10 record in the 2007-08 season, advancing to the NCAA Division II National Tournament for the second time in three seasons. The Wildcats advanced to the semi-finals of the NCAA North Central Regional, knocking off #6 North Dakota 85-78 before falling to Minnesota State 64-62 on a shot at the buzzer. The Wildcats lose just two players to graduation from this past season’s club.