 Terry
Fowler enters his third season as head coach of the University of
North Alabama women’s basketball team. He became the seventh head
coach in the program’s history in March of 2006 and immediately
began the process of restoring the Lions’ winning tradition. In his
first season, Fowler led UNA to a solid 14-14 mark, which was a
nine-win improvement over the school’s 2005-06 record. He also led
UNA back to the GSC Tournament for the first time in since 2003.
Individually, the Lions’ Amber Rutherford was named GSC East
Division Player of the Year and led the NCAA Division II in free
throw percentage at 93.7.Last
seaon, UNA posted a 13-15 mark but returned to the GSC tourney.
Rutherford successfully defended her national free throw
championship by hitting 93.6 percent of her foul shots to lead the
country at the Division II level.
Fowler brought 13 years of coaching
experience to UNA when he joined the program in 2006. He had served
the previous four seasons as head coach at Spring Hill College in
Mobile where he led the school to a 19-13 record in 2005, including
a Top 25 national ranking in the NAIA.
Fowler previously served as head
coach at Spring Hill from 1998-2000 and was then an assistant coach
at the University of South Alabama from 2000 to 2002. In all he has
13 years of experience as a collegiate women’s basketball coach.
In his first stint as head coach at
Spring Hill from 1998-2000, Fowler was named Gulf Coast Athletic
Conference Coach of the Year and led the school to its first-ever
conference championship with a 23-11 record during the 1999-00
season. The Badgers ranked No. 1 nationally in free throw
percentage, were fourth in three- point percentage and sixth in
field goal percentage.
In 2000 he was hired as assistant coach at South Alabama and
coordinated the Lady Jaguars conditioning, recruiting and scouting
and worked with the guards. The program had not had a winning season
in 10 years and had averaged just eight wins per season but in 2001
USA won 13 games and advanced to the first round of the Sun Belt
Tournament. The following year South Alabama was 17-11 and had its
first winning season in 12 years. The Lady Jaguars were ranked sixth
in Division I in scoring defense and ranked second nationally for
the fewest turnovers per game.
A native of Jackson, Tenn., Fowler
earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Lane
College in 1986 and a master’s degree in sports management from the
United States Sports Academy in 1994.
Fowler began his collegiate playing
career at Lincoln Memorial University, where he played as a freshman
and sophomore. He then played his final two seasons at Lane. As a
player at Lane, he was an All- Southern Intercollegiate Athletic
Conference pick as a senior and was a two-time Academic All-SIAC
pick.
Fowler spent 11 seasons coaching the
Lady Badgers. Prior to serving as head coach from 1998-2000, he was
an assistant under former head coach James Walker. Upon his return
to Spring Hill he led the team to the GCAC conference and tournament
championships, which earned them a first-ever birth in the NAIA
National Tournament during the 2002-03 season .
Fowler and his wife, Carolyn, have four children, Megan (19),
Geoffrey (17), Morgan (14) and Madison (9). |
