Butler women’s basketball head coach Austin Parkinson finalized his coaching staff on Tuesday afternoon by hiring Kristin Wodrich as an assistant. Wodrich spent the previous six seasons at UIndy as the head coach for the Greyhounds.
“I am so thrilled Kristin is joining our staff and I get the opportunity to coach with her again,” Parkinson explained. “Having been a head coach the last six years, she has unique knowledge and perspective that she can bring to our program. Her character and values align with those of Butler, and I’ve always admired her ability to build genuine relationships with the players. It will be fun talking strategy again daily as she has a great mind for player development and game prep.”
Wodrich guided UIndy to 76 wins during her stint as the head coach. She coached 12 all-conference players (GLVC) including four first team selections.
“I am grateful for this opportunity,” Wodrich stated. “I enjoyed coaching with Austin at IUPUI and am excited to get to work. I am thrilled to be a part of the Butler family.”
After earning her first head coaching position in the spring of 2016, Wodrich guided the Greyhounds to a seven-win improvement in 2016-17. UIndy compiled a 17-14 mark overall, culminating in an appearance in the GLVC Tournament semifinals.
Defense was the Greyhounds’ calling card in Wodrich’s debut season. UIndy surrendered just 60.2 points per game, the 58th-best average in all of Division II. The Greyhounds held opponents to 60 points or fewer in 17 of their 31 games on the year.
Wodrich guided the Greyhounds to one of their best seasons in 2019-20, posting a 19-10 overall record that resulted in receiving the sixth seed in the GLVC Tournament. The record marked the highest win total during Wodrich’s tenure, including the team’s 12-8 record within the conference.
Wodrich came up with signature wins during her time at UIndy. On Jan. 26, 2017, the Greyhounds recorded an 80-65 win over No. 11-ranked Bellarmine, snapping a 17-game losing streak against nationally-ranked opponents. It was the first of two wins over a nationally-ranked conference rivals, as the Greyhounds dominated No. 21 Southern Indiana in a 66-48 win in the quarterfinals of the GLVC Tournament.
A native of Avon, Ind., Wodrich took the head job at UIndy after spending the previous three years as an assistant coach at IUPUI. Wodrich served as the recruiting coordinator under Parkinson, as well as the academic liaison, head of guard player development and the manager of opponent scouting responsibilities.
“From a recruiting standpoint, she not only has deep ties in the state of Indiana and Midwest, but also has strong connections on the East Coast as well,” Parkinson added.
With Wodrich on staff, the Jaguars recorded a 59-37 record, setting a then single-season program mark with 23 wins in 2013-14. Following a 15-16 season in 2014-15, the Jags finished 21-11 in 2015-16, which included a trip to the Women’s National Invitational Tournament (WNIT).
Prior to returning home to Central Indiana, Wodrich served as the head assistant coach at her alma mater, the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC), from 2011-13. While assisting head coach Phil Stern, Wodrich had a number of duties at UMBC, including serving as the program’s recruiting coordinator, head of player development, lead opponent scout, academic liaison and head of alumni relations.
Before joining the UMBC staff, she assisted head coach Bill Gibbons at the College of Holy Cross in 2010-11 where she helped with scouting, recruiting, practice planning, guard development and video coordination.
Wodrich broke into the coaching community in July 2008 when she was named a graduate assistant at Texas Tech University, where she assisted with the day-to-day operations, video responsibilities and the organization of summer camps. She graduated from Texas Tech with her Master’s degree in sport management in 2010.
As a player at UMBC, Wodrich was a four-year letter winner for the Retrievers from 2004-2008 and helped guide the team to the 2007 America East Championship and a spot in the NCAA Division I Tournament. She graduated in 2008 with a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies with a focus in broadcast communications and exercise physiology.
