I don?t know how she?d be here at MU but I think this is a pretty impressive resume
Kari Pickens
Pickens begins 2023-24 as the second-winningest NCAA women's basketball coach all-time in terms of winning percentage, minimum 150 games (.904).
Has guided Ashland to a 142-15 record, one NCAA Division II national championship, four conference tournament titles, three conference regular-season championships and five NCAA Division II tournament berths in her first five seasons as head coach.
Still ranks 12th on Ashland's all-time scoring list (1,414 points) despite playing just two seasons in the program.
Was named the women's basketball program's 13th head coach on April 3, 2018, following five seasons as an assistant, including one as the program's associate head coach.
In 2022-23, Pickens guided Ashland to a 37-0 record and a D-II national title, as well as Midwest Regional, Great Midwest Athletic Conference Tournament and Great Midwest regular-season championships.
The national championship makes Pickens the only woman in D-II history to win a title as a player, assistant coach and head coach, and just the second woman in NCAA history to do so, along with Kim Mulkey.
Following the season, Pickens was named Women's Basketball Coaches Association D-II Coach of the Year, becoming the first woman to earn both WBCA Coach of the Year and Player of the Year honors, and the first coach in any NCAA division to be both WBCA Coach of the Year and Assistant Coach of the Year.
The 2021-22 season saw the Eagles go 29-3 overall, reach the NCAA playoffs, and win both the Great Midwest regular-season and postseason titles. Pickens was named Great Midwest Coach of the Year in the team's first season in the league.
In 2020-21, Pickens guided the Eagles to a 16-9 finish overall and 11-7 mark in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, as well as a third NCAA Tournament berth in as many years. Ashland finished the season strong, winning eight of its last 10 games and reaching the championship games of both the GLIAC and Midwest Regional tournaments.
The 2019-20 season saw Ashland finish 31-0 overall and 20-0 in the GLIAC, as the Eagles won both the GLIAC regular-season and tournament championships. Pickens was named the GLIAC Coach of the Year, and Ashland qualified for the NCAA Division II postseason, which was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In her first season leading the Eagles in 2018-19, Pickens went 29-3 overall and 18-2 in the GLIAC, and AU won its fourth consecutive GLIAC Tournament championship and made its fifth consecutive NCAA Division II postseason appearance.
Pickens is synonymous with the success Ashland's women's basketball program has had over the last 11 seasons, starting with putting up perhaps the best back-to-back seasons as a player in Division II women's basketball history after transferring from Division I Dayton.
During the 2011-12 and 2012-13 seasons, in which Ashland was the national runner-up and won its first national championship, Pickens recorded 1,414 points and 903 rebounds, seventh- and fourth-most all-time at Ashland, respectively. She has the Division II women's basketball record for most consecutive games with a double-double in a career (34), and still claims Eagle program records for single-game rebounds (24), single-season points (744), single-season rebounds (492), single-season rebounding average (14.1) and career scoring average (21.8).
In 30 games in 2012-13, Pickens averaged 22.3 points, 13.7 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game while shooting 52.2 percent from the field, 40.8 percent from 3-point range and 82.9 percent from the free-throw line. As a junior, Pickens averaged 21.3 points, 14.1 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game in 35 contests, and hit 50.3 percent from the field, 34.1 percent from 3-point range and 84.1 percent from the free-throw line.
Pickens' playing accolades included being named two-time Honda Sports Award D-II Female Athlete of the Year, 2013 Capital One Female Student-Athlete Academic All-American of the Year, 2013 Capital One Women's Basketball Academic All-American of the Year, two-time WBCA National Player of the Year, two-time WBCA first-team All-American, 2013 D-II Elite Eight Most Outstanding Player, two-time Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Year and 2013 GLIAC Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
As an assistant coach, Pickens was named WBCA NCAA Division II Assistant Coach of the Year in 2016-17, and earned one of the WBCA's inaugural "Thirty Under 30" awards in 2015-16.
BEFORE ASHLAND UNIVERSITY
Pickens played two seasons at Dayton, where she scored 389 points and averaged 6.0 ppg. and 16.0 minutes per game. She was named to the all-Atlantic 10 Rookie Team, and, as a sophomore, was cited as a CoSIDA Second Team Academic All-District pick.
At River View High School, Pickens was a two-time first-team all-Ohio selection. In 2009, she was the Ohio co-Player of the Year. Pickens was a member of two state-championship teams (2006-07) and a state runner-up (2009).
In the spring of 2014, Pickens played professionally for the Lakeside Lightning in Perth, Australia. She was the team?s Most Valuable Player, averaging 21.1 points, 11.1 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game. Pickens led the State Basketball League in free-throw percentage (85.4) and rebounds (299), and was second in points per game.
PICKENS YEAR-BY-YEAR
Year
Year School Record
2022-23 Ashland 37-0
2021-22 Ashland 29-3
2020-21 Ashland 16-9
2019-20 Ashland 31-0
2018-19 Ashland 29-3
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