Women's Basketball Head Coach - Tonja Englund
Tonja Englund begins her eighth
season as the head women’s basketball coach at UW-Eau
Claire. Winning two Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic
Conference (WIAC) regular season and post-season tournament
championships in 2001 and 2003, Englund has compiled an
overall record of 143-54 during her tenure (a .726 winning
percentage). In 2002-03 the Blugolds posted a school single-season
record in wins ending the season with a 32-2 record and
a third place finish in the NCAA Division III Post-Season
Tournament. Englund also holds an impressive 81-13 record
at home (a .862 winning percentage), including two unbeaten
seasons in 2002-03 and 2006-07. For her efforts during
the 2002-03 season, Englund was named WIAC Coach of the
Year and NCAA Division III Russell Athletic/WBCA National
Coach of the Year.
Englund’s 143 career wins
ranks her 10th all-time among WIAC coaches and only three
coaches ranked in the top 10 have a better winning percentage
than Englund. Her winning percentage is also the highest
of all active women’s basketball coaches in the
conference.
In seven seasons Englund has coached
11 first team All-Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
(WIAC) and six All-Defensive WIAC selections. During that
span two Blugolds received WIAC Player of the Year honors.
The Blugold program has produced six All-Region and two
All-American recipients during that stretch, including
three consecutive seasons where a Blugold has been named
as one of 10 finalists for the Jostens Trophy for the
Division III Player of the Year.
Englund’s teams have also
excelled academically, having three players selected as
the WIAC Scholar-Athlete. Three players have earned academic
All-District recognition while one player received academic
All-America honors.
Under Englund, the Blugolds have
become actively involved and committed to community service
in programs such as Blugold Buddies, Reading in Schools,
public speaking engagements for service/school groups,
service projects at area food shelters and attendance
at area youth practices among other activities.
During Englund’s tenure as
head women’s basketball coach at UW-Eau Claire she
has developed the Blugold Women’s Basketball Advisory
Committee, the Blugold Women’s Basketball Fastbreak
Fan club and led a project that raised significant funding
to renovate and create a team study area/locker room in
Zorn Arena.
Englund has had several players
go on to pursue coaching careers at the high school, college
and professional levels. Included in that group are former
players Janel (Soppeland) Seaholm (former head girl’s
coach at Cadott High School), Becca (Spaeth) Bestul (assistant
girl’s coach Eau Claire North), Jessie Brantner
(assistant girl’s coach Eau Claire Memorial), Sarah
(Hughes) Brenner (head girl’s coach Augusta High
School), Kristi Channing (assistant women’s coach
UW-Eau Claire), Megan (Murphy) Jacobsen (assistant women’s
coach St. Thomas, MN), Carolyn Kieger (former player of
Englund’s at Roseville HS and Marquette four-year
starter…now the Director of Basketball Operations
at Marquette).
On the road to the Final Four in
2003 the Blugolds went a perfect 16-0 in WIAC play--only
the fourth time such a feat was accomplished in conference
history, won the WIAC post-season tournament and hosted
four home games in the NCAA tournament.
Supported by a large and loyal
fan following, the Blugolds led all of Division III women’s
basketball in attendance in 2003-04 averaging 1,105 fans
per home game. It was the second-consecutive season in
which the Blugolds received such recognition. During the
2002-03 season, the Blugolds’ average attendance
in three WIAC tournament games was 1,294 fans and 1,761
fans in six NCAA tournament contest. That season in four
home NCAA tournament games the Blugolds averaged 2,103
people per game.
Prior to Eau Claire, Englund was
the head girls' coach at Roseville High School for six
seasons. In her final year at Roseville (1999-00), Englund
had the No. 1-ranked team in the state heading into the
Minnesota state tournament. Englund was a Ms. Basketball
Minnesota Chairperson, a region representative, a member
of the Girls' Basketball Advisory Council and a member
of the All-Star Selection Committee.
A Twin Cities native, Englund prepped
at Hill-Murray High School where she was All-Conference,
All-Metro, All-State and All-America. The four-year starter
was captain and team MVP as a senior, Hill-Murray Athlete
of the Year, MVP of the 1987 Minnesota state tournament,
MVP of the 1988 Minnesota All-Star Game and a Ms. Basketball
Minnesota finalist.
Englund started her collegiate
career on a full scholarship at the University of Wyoming
in Laramie. She earned All-Conference honors as a freshman
but after starting for two seasons, returned to her home
state to finish her career near her family. In 1991, Englund
transferred to the University of St. Thomas where she
led the Tommies to a national championship and was named
to the Final Four All-Tournament Team.
During Englund’s playing
and coaching career she was mentored by legendary MN Hall
of Fame College/High School basketball coach Bob Erdman,
played high school basketball for Ruth Sinn (current University
of St. Thomas coach) and played collegiately for highly
successful coaches Chad Lavin (current University of South
Dakota head basketball coach) and Ted Riverso (current
University of Minnesota assistant basketball coach).
During the summer, Englund is the
camp director of the Blugold Girls’ Basketball and
Leadership Camps.
Englund earned her bachelor's degree
in physical education and coaching in 1994 and then received
her master's degree in athletic administration from St.
Thomas in May of 1998.
At Eau Claire, Englund is an instructor
in addition to advising students in the Coaching minor
program within the Department of Kinesiology.
Updated 11/2/07 | 
