2009 HORIZON LEAGUE COACH OF THE YEAR After an inaugural campaign that saw the Flames claim the regular season Horizon League title, head coach Michelle Venturella enters her second season at the helm of the Flames with her sights set on returning to the top of the league and beyond. Venturella took little time in putting her mark on the program, turning a 2008 squad that finished the season below .500 and fifth in the league standings into a UIC team that claimed 16 wins in league play for the first time since 2004 and back to the championship game in the tournament for the first time in three years. With four Flames named All-League honorees and eventual All-Region selection Sarah Clynes selected under her tutelage, Venturella was named the Horizon League coach of the year. Venturella arrived at UIC after spending six seasons as associate head coach at the University of Iowa under head coach Gayle Blevins, serving as the recruiting coordinator and hitting coach while also mentoring the team's catchers. During her tenure in Iowa City, Venturella helped the Hawkeyes to a record of 251-116 with Iowa making five NCAA Regional appearances and claiming the 2003 Big Ten regular season and tournament titles. A product of Thornwood High School in South Holland, Ill., Venturella brings with her a wealth of experience as a standout player on a national, international and professional level. A 1996 graduate of Indiana University, she starred as a catcher for the Hoosiers, earning All-America and Big Ten Player of the Year honors. That success led to a six-year stint on the USA National Team, which culminated in Venturella winning gold medals at the 1998 World Championships and the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Venturella got her first taste of coaching at the collegiate level at Northern Illinois, serving as an assistant coach during the 1996-97 season under Head Coach Donna Martin. Following her time at NIU, Venturella spent the next five years training for the USA National team while also serving as a technical representative for Louisville Slugger. She also served as a personal instructor and a motivational speaker. |
  |
|||||||||||||||
