Courtesy of UAlbany Athletic Media Relations
Albany, N.Y. – University at
Albany Vice President and Director of Athletics Lee McElroy announced today the
hiring of Katie Abrahamson-Henderson as head women’s basketball coach.
Abrahamson-Henderson, the 10th head coach in the UAlbany program’s history, was
previously the associate head coach at Indiana University.
She also served as Missouri
State University’s
head coach from 2002-07, leading that program to three NCAA Tournament
appearances.
“We are extremely pleased to have found a coach who has a proven record of
success on the court and in the classroom,” McElroy said. “Katie has been
a winner on all levels as a head coach, assistant coach and
student-athlete. She is respected by her peers, has strong relationships
and will be active in the community. The America East Conference and its
women’s basketball programs are on the rise and she has the ability to meet
that challenge.”
Abrahamson-Henderson has two decades of experience on the Division I
level. At Missouri
State, she guided that
program to three Missouri Valley Conference tournament championships, two MVC
regular-season titles and three NCAA berths. The Bears, who also won the
2005 WNIT championship, posted a 95-61 record during her five seasons. In
addition, she coached a pair of MVC players of the year, 11 all-conference
honorees, two of the program’s all-time leading scorers, three players who went
on to professional careers, and 13 MVC scholar-athletes.
“I am extremely honored and humbled to have this opportunity and to be a part
of the UAlbany family,” said Abrahamson-Henderson, who is third among Missouri State women’s basketball coaches in
career victories. “I am excited to begin this wonderful journey of
coaching the women’s basketball team and at the same time both teach and
develop these amazing young women. Dr. McElroy has shown me so much
character, honesty, and excitement for his athletic department that I am so
excited to be a part of his team. Everyone involved with this search has
been impressive, so open and honest that becoming a Great Dane was an easy
choice.”
Missouri State recorded back-to-back 25-plus win
campaigns in 2003-04 and 2004-05. The Bears went 28-4 in her second
season at the helm when they won both the MVC regular-season and tournament
crowns. They followed that performance with another regular-season title,
a 25-8 record, and a victory over West
Virginia in the WNIT championship game. The program
was also recognized by the WBCA for its academic performance.
Following her stay at Missouri
State,
Abrahamson-Henderson worked at Washington in the Pacific-10 Conference as
assistant coach and co-recruiting coordinator in 2007-08. She spent the
last two seasons in the Big Ten Conference at Indiana as associate head coach on Felisha
Legette-Jack’s staff. The Hoosiers advanced to the 2009 WNIT
quarterfinals and finished with a 21-11 record.
"We are excited for Katie and her family for reaching a goal that she set
a few years ago in helping our Indiana
women's basketball program continue to grow to another level and then attain a
head coaching position again,” Legette-Jack said. “Albany has gotten a great coach; a coach that
knows how to win and knows discipline. We're sad to see Katie leave, but we
understand her goal and we are very proud and excited about this opportunity
for her."
Previous to Missouri State, Abrahamson-Henderson served as associate head
coach at Michigan
StateUniversity
from 2000-02. She worked for (now Duke University
head coach) Joanne McCallie and helped lead a resurgence of the program as the
team went from a .500 season the first year to 19-13 and the WNIT semifinals
the following season.
From 1994-2000, Abrahamson-Henderson was an assistant coach and recruiting
coordinator on Bill Fennelly’s Iowa
State University
staff. The Cyclones made four consecutive NCAA appearances, reaching the
Elite Eight in 1999 and Sweet Sixteen in 2000. Iowa State
went a combined 94-34 during that four-year period and ended that run with a
Big 12 Conference championship.
A 1990 graduate of the University of Iowa, Abrahamson-Henderson began her
coaching career at Duquesne University for two seasons before moving to the
University of Maine as McCallie’s assistant from 1992-94. The Black Bears
won the North Atlantic Conference (now America East Conference) championship
and reached the NCAA Tournament.
An accomplished student-athlete and a Parade Magazine and USA Today
High School All-American,
Abrahamson-Henderson played two seasons at the University
of Georgia for Andy Landers before
transferring to Iowa
to compete for Basketball Hall of Famer C. Vivian Stringer. At Iowa, she was a member
of two Big Ten Conference championship teams and played in the NCAA Sweet
Sixteen. As a freshman at Georgia,
she helped the Bulldogs capture the 1986 Southeastern Conference title.
Following her college career, Abrahamson-Henderson played one season
professionally in New
Zealand.
A native of Cedar Rapids, Iowa,
Abrahamson-Henderson earned a B.S. in physical education with an emphasis in
sports administration from the University
of Iowa. She
received her master’s in education from Duquesne University
in 1992.
Abrahamson-Henderson and her husband, Michael, have two daughters, Savannah and Brooklyn.
Michael also had a celebrated college basketball career and eventually played
for the Harlem Globetrotters. He led Long Island-C.W. Post to a pair of
NCAA Tournaments and scored 1,173 career points from 1981-84.
Katie
Abrahamson-Henderson Biography
PERSONAL
Name:
Kay N. Abrahamson-Henderson
Birthdate:
December 23, 1966
Age: 43
Overall
Record: 95-61 (5 years)
Husband:
Michael A. Henderson
Children:
Savannah (born July 12, 2003), Brooklyn
(born April 20, 2005)
EDUCATION
University of Iowa, B.S. in physical education, sports
administration, 1990
Duquesne University, M.S., education, 1992
COACHING
2008-10
Indiana University
Associate
Head Coach
2007-08
University of Washington
Assistant
Coach
2002-07
Missouri
State University
Head Coach
(95-61)
2002-03 (18-13), MVC Champion, NCAA
First Round
2003-04 (28-4), MVC Champion, NCAA
First Round
2004-05 (25-8), WNIT Champion
2005-06 (17-15), MVC Champion, NCAA
First Round
2006-07 (7-21)
2000-02
Michigan State University
Associate Head Coach
1994-00
Iowa State University
Assistant Coach
1992-94
University of
Maine
Assistant Coach
1990-92
Duquesne University
Assistant
Coach