Redbird legend Cathy Boswell has joined the Illinois State women’s basketball staff as an assistant coach, as announced by head coach Barb Smith.
“It is an honor for me to announce that Cathy Boswell will be joining our coaching staff,” Smith said. “As one of the most-decorated student-athletes in the history of Illinois State and the women’s basketball program, Cathy is returning home where she brings a wealth of experience to our team and staff. Cathy is a team player, who is willing to do whatever it takes. She will help us continue to develop our student-athletes and will bring another dimension to our recruiting efforts. We are truly looking forward to Cathy joining our family and making a difference here as she continues her Redbird career.”
Boswell came to Illinois State as a 16-year-old freshman and left as the school’s all-time leader in scoring and rebounds. She has 31 years of competitive basketball experience, including 24 years of professional basketball. Most recently, Boswell was the head coach of the Tenerife Club in Spain for two seasons.
“I am extremely thankful, blessed and honored to be a part of the women`s basketball program at ISU as an assistant coach,” Boswell said. “My goal is to make a difference in the program by being a productive addition to the coaching staff and the student-athletes. I am very humbled at the opportunity to return to my alma mater after 29 years of playing and coaching internationally. I am looking forward to a positive, enriching experience, thus closing the circle.”
Boswell graduated from Joliet West High School in just three years, and the Shorewood, Illinois, native burst onto the scene in her first two seasons at Illinois State, leading the Redbirds to a 51-18 record, an AIAW State Championship and a WNIT bid. She eclipsed 1,000 points in her first two years and still holds the ISU freshman and sophomore records for scoring average, field goals and rebounds.
A WBCA All-American in 1982 and 1983, Boswell led the Redbirds to 90 wins in her career. She was the first Redbird to eclipse 2,000 points. Boswell is the ISU career record-holder in field goals, rebounding average, and is in the top-10 in scoring, assists, blocks and steals.
A 6-footer with Magic Johnson-like skills, Boswell played on the 1984 gold-medal winning USA Olympic basketball team. She played professionally in Germany, Italy, Spain, Greece and Brazil before playing in the American Basketball League (ABL). She helped lead the Brazilian team to five national championships.
In addition to coaching at several youth basketball camps and serving as a speaker at coaching clinics, Boswell was a head coach for five seasons with three international club teams. She also served as an assistant coach twice, including twice for Spanish national teams. In Spain, Boswell implemented new sports program units into the intramural curriculum in English at Casa Azul School. From 2004-06, she coached at the high school level.
Boswell is a three-time hall of fame inductee, including Joliet West High School, Missouri Valley Conference and Illinois State Athletics Percy Family Hall of Fame. Her ISU number is retired and hanging in the rafters of Redbird Arena.
She fills the assistant coach position after Erin Dickerson left for Towson University.
http://www.goredbirds.com/news/2015/8/26/WBB_0826152527.aspx
Photo Courtesy Illinois State Athletics
Tagged with: Illinois State Missouri Valley Conference
