UMKC mentor to present at MBCA clinic

Marsha Frese, a 15-year coaching veteran was announced this spring as the newest Women's head basketball coach at UMKC. The Missouri Basketball Coaching Association is excited to present Frese at their annual clinic, October 4 & 5 in Columbia.

Most recently, the associate head coach and recruiting coordinator at Northern Illinois University. Frese spent two seasons under head coach Kathi Bennett helping the Huskies improve their win total by 30 percent, 75 percent in league games in her first season. The Huskies also improved their overall win total in her second season, and advanced to the MAC Tournament quarterfinals for the first time in four years. A perimeter coach, her team led the MAC in three-point shooting and ranked No. 10 in the nation at 37.6 percent.

Previously Frese coached the 2007-08 season at Ball State, her second stint there, also coaching there from 1999-2001. Leading the Cardinals she delivered back-to-back winning seasons for only the second time in school history.

Frese spent 2003-07 at the University of Illinois as the associate head coach and recruiting coordinator. In her first year at Illinois, the Illini upset three top-25 teams and the Illini fought their way to the WNIT. In 2005-06, Illinois won a WNIT game and upended No. 15 Oklahoma. The next year, she helped coach Illinois to the WNIT Round of 16 and a win over No. 16 Michigan State. She also coached two record-setting individuals: Lori Bjork and Jenna Smith, both Frese recruits. Bjork set a new single season three-point record with 84 makes and was named Second Team All-Big Ten. Smith set the Illinois freshman single-season rebounding record.

After her first stint at Ball State, Frese provided an immediate impact in her next role as assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Minnesota. The Golden Gophers posted an 8-20 recorded prior to her arrival. With Frese on staff, Minnesota turned around its basketball stock, winning 22 games. Frese also flipped the fortunes of Golden Gopher recruiting, signing the No. 15 class in the nation, as ranked by Blue Star.

As a player, Frese excelled on both the high school and college levels. A former Miss Iowa Basketball, Frese helped Cedar Rapids Washington High School to the 1988 Iowa state title. During her prep career, she led the state in scoring twice (1989 and 1990) and was named 1990 Miss Iowa Basketball by both USA Today and Gatorade Circle of Champions. A two-time first team All-Stater, Frese finished her high school career as one of the Top 25 all-time leading scorers in Iowa history. She has since been inducted into the Washington High School Athletic Hall of Fame.

At Rice, Frese lettered all four years and finished her career ranked sixth in three-pointers made. She also left with the Rice school record for best three-point field goal percentage in a single season.

Frese will address the MBCA clinic on the guard-post slide.