ATLANTA, Ga. - The Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) has selected Marty Rowe of Lee University as the 2006 RUSSELL ATHLETIC/WBCA National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Coach of the Year. Rowe becomes the 22nd coach in history to receive this accolade.
"We are honored to coin Marty Rowe as the RUSSELL ATHLETIC/WBCA National NAIA Coach of the Year," said WBCA CEO Beth Bass. "His contributions to women's basketball are endless and we applaud the hard work that he extends to Lee University."
Rowe is currently in his second season with Lee University and improved the Lady Flames from a 13-20 record in 2003 to a 23-12 finish in 2005, while competing in the NAIA National Tournament. This year Rowe helped his team post a 26-6 record and will once again make an appearance in the NAIA National Tournament.
Prior to coaching at Lee University, Rowe spent six years at Brescia University in Owensboro, Ky. where he tallied a record of 131-65.
"Russell Athletic is proud to support the WBCA and be the presenting sponsor of the Coach of the Year Awards," said Calvin Johnston, President & CEO of Russell Athletic. "We are huge supporters of women's sports across America and rewarding excellence is a hallmark of our company."
Rowe is one of six RUSSELL ATHLETIC/WBCA National Coaches of the Year selected by the Association, which also names winners for each of the other four WBCA collegiate divisions (NCAA Divisions I, II, III and JC/CC) as well as High School. Each collegiate winner is selected through a two-level process. The first level is by region, in which coaches from each WBCA geographical region vote for their respective top coach. Rowe, having received the most votes in WBCA NAIA Region 6, advanced as a finalist to the national level of the selection process along with the other four Regional Coaches of the Year in the NAIA division.
The WBCA would also like to recognize the following regional NAIA Coaches of the Year:
| REGION | COACH | INSTITUTION |
| 1 | Russ Davis | Vanguard University |
| 2 | Tracee Fairbanks | Doane College |
| 4 | Gary Andrews | University of Saint Francis |
| 5 | Kirk Martin | Cedarville University |
Rowe and the national winners from the other five divisions will be honored at the RUSSELL ATHLETIC/WBCA National Coach of the Year Luncheon presented by AstraZeneca on Tuesday, April 4 at 12:00 p.m. (ET) in the Hynes Convention Center Ballroom. The luncheon is part of the 2006 WBCA National Convention held in conjunction with the NCAAŽ Women's Final FourŽ in Boston, Mass. This year the WBCA celebrates its Silver Anniversary, marking 25 years of existence.
Founded in 1981, the Women's Basketball Coaches Association 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 an amateur sport for women and girls. For more information about the WBCA, please visit WBCA.org.
