| Women's Basketball Head Coach - Tonja Englund
Tonja Englund begins her fifth 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 the last four years, Englund has compiled an overall record of 95-21 during her tenure. 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
Over the past four years Englund has coached eight first team All-Conference, two honorable mention All-Conference and four 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 in three of the past four seasons. Three players have earned academic All-District recognition while one player received academic All-America honors.
On the road to the Final Four 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. That season Englund was named the 2002-03 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) and NCAA Division III Russell Athletic/WBCA National Coach of the Year.
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 the summer Englund is the camp director of the Blugold Girls' Basketball and Leadership Camps that has enrolled over 1,500 campers in the past two years.
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 and Athletics.
Updated 11/2/04
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