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Head Coach Dave Harnish
Harnish's Resume
Playing Days
WNCC
1977-79
Adam's State
1979-1981
Coaching Years
Northern Colorado
1983-88
Western Nebraska
1988-present
Honors
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 The
WNCC women's basketball seem to own Region IX having won nine Region IX
championships in the last 15 years. The Cougars have also won five of
the last six regional championships. And, behind the success is Dave Harnish, who has won 20 or more wins every season that he has been head
coach at WNCC -- all 20 years. That is a very impressive feat.
And, this year, the Cougar women are back on top of the region claiming
the team's ninth regional title with a 51-48 win over Miles Communtiy
College. The win also gave the Cougars a 30-win season, which was the
teams sixth such title in seven years.
Harnish has quietly put up some Hall of Fame numbers, including a 550-111
overall record, including seven 30-win seasons, 4-straight Region IX
championships, 20-plus wins in every season, nine total Region IX titles, a runner-up
national tournament finish, ranked No. 1 in the nation in 2005, 12 NJCAA
all-Americans and several players that have gone on to the Division I/II level. When you
look at these numbers, Harnish has had a magical coaching career at WNCC.
Just around the corner is something that is not too far off -- a national
championship.
This year's team started November with three losses. And, after break,
the Cougars have only lost once and have won 13-straight games. Two
players were named to the All-region team -- Emma Beddome and Chelsea
Lyles, while three were named to all-tournament team -- Beddome, Lyles
and Shaquilah Davis.
Last season, the Cougar women finished the season with the least
losses in school history by the women's basketball team. The only
setbacks occurred to Casper College on the road, including the Region IX
championship game at Casper. Still, the team had a successful season
just like the previous four. The year before, the team finished the
season at 32-4 and a 8th place finish at the national tournament. The
team dropped their opening game before winning two straight to compete
in the consolation finals. Last season was
the school's fourth straight trip to nationals in women's basketball. The
previous three were just as impressive.
In 2001-02, the Cougars finished 30-3 before losing in the semi-finals
of the regional tournament.
That lose motivated the team the following season as they had the best season in
school history finishing 34-3 and played in the national championship game,
which was something no other sport at WNCC had accomplished. The team also won
its 500th game in the history of the college that year with a 72-49 win over
Coffeyville Community College in the Air Force Prep Husky Invitational on Nov.
21.
In the 2003-04 season, the team finished 30-7 after starting the season 5-5. Harnish's team went on to win
the regional title and then earned a spot on
Championship Saturday at the national tournament finishing sixth. The next
season, 2004-05, the team won the Triple Crown -- three straight regional
titles. The team then finished the national tournament with a
disappointing 1-2 record and a 9th place finish. That motivated the team
for this past season and you can see the results.
What exactly makes Harnish so successful? He is knowledgeable about the game and knows
the Xs and Os inside and out. Harnish, in fact, has always been successful at
WNCC starting with his playing days in the late 1970s when he was on the
Cougars' first men's basketball Region IX team (coached by know men's coach Ron
Brillhart). From there he went on to start at Adams State College. After
college, he came back here briefly as an assistant coach before following to
Brillhart to the University of Northern Colorado. Then, in 1988, Harnish took
over the reigns of the women's basketball program and helped bring the team from
average seasons and performances at the regional tournament to national
recognition.
In
his 20 years of coaching at WNCC, Harnish has compiled a
331-57 coaching
record against Region IX teams. And, don't expect the Cougar women to slow
up anytime too soon. Three seasons ago, Harnish achieved a milestone in winning his
400th game against Kansas City Community College.
This past year, Harnish won his 500th win against North Platte Community
College.
Harnish averaged an amazing 28 wins a season. Harnish has been named District
coach of the year nine times and Region IX coach of the year seven times. The Cougars will be
entering their 31st year in women's basketball this coming season and Harnish is
aiming for his 600th career win.
Harnish, though, couldn't achieve all this winning without the talented players
that he brings in. Players come here and improve to attend several levels of
four-year institutions, including Tatiana Conceicao, who
starred at Southeast Missouri State University earning all-conference
honors, player of the year, and helping the team to the NCAA national
tournament. Fernanda Bosi attended the University of Kansas and Simone
Santos played at Gonzaga. Also, Renee Rayton attended Division One
Clemson. Other players that have had successful careers at the Division
I level include Shana Coleman at Neveda-Las Vegas, Melantha Herron at
Toledo, Awa Diop of Syracuse and Audrey Flageolle at George Mason. All the
teams went on to the NCAA or NIT tournaments. Off of the 2007-08 team,
Chelsea Lyles and Emma Beddome each signed with Division I Florida Gulf
Coast.
Outside of basketball, Harnish is a single father raising his daughter, Nicol,
and son, Josh. Harnish is currently a physical education instructor at WNCC. |
Assistant Coach Jennifer Pedersen
Ped's Resume
Playing Days
Rawlins
1990-1994
WNCC
1994-96
Black Hills State
1996-98
Chadron State
1998-2000
Honors
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 Jennifer Pedersen is best known as Harnish's right-hand women. Pedersen is
beginning her fifth year as the assistant coach at WNCC. Pedersen is no stranger
to WNCC athletics having played for the Cougars in the mid 90s. Pedersen
graduated from Rawlins High School in 1994 where she was standout volleyball and
basketball player. After high school, Pedersen came to WNCC to play volleyball,
where she was a standout middle hitter. At the same time, she also played for
the women's basketball team.
Basketball, though, is where
her heart was. In her freshman season, she helped the Lady Cougars to a 29-5
record and a Region IX championship. The next season, the basketball team
finished 25-6. After WNCC, Pedersen transferred to Black Hills State and
received her bachelors degree while starring on the basketball team. After
two years at Black Hills State, she was a graduate assistant for the Chadron
State College women's basketball and volleyball teams while earning her Master's
degree in Language Arts.
Pedersen also has many other duties at WNCC besides the assistant basketball
coach. On the court, Harnish is her boss. Off the court, it is reversed as
Pedersen becomes Harnish's boss as the Athletic Director at the college.
Many of Pedersen's duties include
taping ankles, making hotel reservations, conducting conditioning programs and
spring workouts, recruiting and plenty of paper work. As far as duties as
Athletic Director, Pedersen has to manage the finances of seven sports and
plenty of fundraising and other duties. |
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Other
Links
NJCAA
Region IX
Webpage designed and
maintained by Mark Rein, unofficial Sports Information Director.
Email comments or questions to
mrein@wncc.net
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