Kennesaw State Director of Athletics Milton Overton and women’s basketball head coach Octavia Blue have reached a contract extension that will keep Blue as the program’s leader through April 30, 2027.
“Coach Blue has brought positive momentum to our women’s basketball program with notable milestones in her first two years,” said Overton. “I am looking forward to seeing her continuation of developing our student-athletes on and off the court this year and in Conference USA.”
The Owls’ head coach posted 24 wins in her first two seasons at the helm, the second-most by a KSU women’s basketball head coach in their first two seasons. Last season, the Owls doubled their conference win total from 2021-22 (five to 10) and recorded their most conference wins (10) in a single season since 2008-09 and most overall wins (15) since 2014-15.
Kennesaw State’s nine home wins in 2022-23 were the most single-season wins on home court since 2007-08.
“It is an honor to be the head women’s basketball coach here at Kennesaw State University,” Blue said. “I could not be more excited. I would like to thank President Kathy Schwaig, Director of Athletics Milton Overton and Chief Operating Officer Tamica Smith Jones for their commitment to our program and trust in my leadership.”
So far in 2023-24, Kennesaw State is 3-1 inside the KSU Convocation Center with a marquee victory over American Athletic Conference foe Florida Atlantic, 57-43, on Nov. 25. In the win, the Owls held FAU to only two first quarter points. The mark was KSU’s fewest points allowed in a single non-overtime quarter and the fewest points FAU has scored in a single non-overtime quarter in each program’s history.
The Black and Gold have started 3-1 at home in back-to-back seasons and have won seven of their last nine games inside the KSU Convocation Center.
“I am truly blessed to wake up every day and do a job that I love,” Blue added. “I am grateful for the incredible young women I get to lead, the hard-working members of my staff (past and present), Owl Nation and our community. I look forward to continuing to build on the success we’ve had thus far and will work diligently to have our basketball program reflect the greatness of this university.”
Blue, the eighth head coach in program history, is the fastest Kennesaw State women’s basketball head coach in the Owls’ NCAA Division I period to 27 wins, achieving the mark in 12 games fewer than the previous record-holder. She earned her 19th home victory in 31 tries in the win over Coastal Georgia on Dec. 2, becoming the fastest KSU women’s basketball coach in the Owls’ DI era to reach that total by six games.
In the Owls’ win over the Mariners, the defense held Coastal Georgia to 25 points – the fewest allowed in a single game in program history – and nine first half points, the fewest allowed in a half since Feb. 8, 2014.
Since Blue became head coach on Apr. 29, 2021, KSU is third among NCAA Division I basketball programs in the state of Georgia with nine home conference wins – tied with the University of Georgia and Mercer.
“Coach Blue has brought a new level of excitement around our program through her authentic leadership and spirit of excellence,” said Chief Operating Officer and basketball program administrator Tamica Smith Jones. “Her championship vision and plan for the program has already proved fruitful in record achievements, player development, and community engagement. We are excited for where this program is headed this year and beyond.”
A University of Miami (Fla.) alumna, she was the first WNBA draft pick in the program’s history in 1998 after being selected 15th overall by the Los Angeles Sparks. At the time of her graduation from Miami, she was fourth in program history with 1,724 career points.
In her collegiate career as both a student-athlete, professional athlete, assistant coach and head coach, Blue holds a 386-269 record.
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