By TOMMY REZAC
St. Joseph Post
Missouri Western women's basketball announced Wednesday the hiring of longtime Division I head coach Jim Wiedie as an assistant for the 2022-23 season.
Wiedie has spent the last nine years as the head coach for the University of Findlay Women's Basketball - a Division II team he led to five straight GMAC Tournaments from 2017-22, and one NCAA Regional appearance in 2018.
Wiedie and Findlay mutually agreed to part ways this past spring after he led the Oilers to a 15-15 record in his final season there.
The Oilers went 142-107 overall under Coach Wiedie, giving him the second most wins in program history. Many players thrived under his leadership, including two Division II All-Region players, six First Team All-Conference players and one GMAC Player of the Year.
"Jim brings a tremendous amount of experience to our program, spending time as both an assistant and a head coach at various levels throughout his career," Griffons head coach Candi Whitaker said. "He is a proven winner and recruiter, and we have no doubt he is going to work tirelessly to continue to raise the level of our program. We are thrilled to welcome Jim to the St. Joseph community."
During his 10-year stint as the Indiana State head coach from 2000-2010, Wiedie saw much success with a 166-118 overall record, making him the winningest coach in the history of that program.
Wiedie's tenure in Terre Haute ended abruptly in February 2010 when he was suspended during the regular season, though no reason for his suspension and eventual departure was ever disclosed.
Wiedie was named the 2003 and 2006 Missouri Valley Conference Coach of the Year and the 2006 WBCA Region VI Coach of the Year. His teams won the MVC regular season championship in 2003 and '06 while making the WNIT in those same years ,as well as 2005.
Wiedie's teams have found success off the court as well. Indiana State spent nine straight years as at least one the top 13 teams in the nation in GPA.
"I'm honored and extremely excited to be part of the women's basketball program at Missouri Western State University," Wiedie said in a statement. "I can't thank Coach Whitaker enough for this incredible opportunity. She's done an amazing job in the short period of time she's been here, and I'm looking forward to helping her and the rest of the staff take the program beyond the Elite 8."
Missouri Western women's basketball is coming off of one of its best seasons in program history in 2021-22, as the Griffons finished with a 24-10 record and a Central Region championship.
Missouri Western reached the Elite 8 for the first time since 1995 and just the third time in program history this past spring.
The Griffons are likely to be an MIAA contender yet again this season, as they return seven players with either starting or significant playing experience.
Eleven total players are back from last year. Plus, Missouri Western added Pittsburg State transfer guard and sophomore Jayme Jackson, who averaged 10.8 points and four rebounds per game last season for the Gorillas.
Along with three new freshmen, Missouri Western also added junior transfer guard Johni Gonzalez in the offseason, after she averaged 4.5 points and 2.8 assists per game last year for Division I University of California-Santa Barbara.
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