Maryland women’s basketball head coach Brenda Frese announced the hiring of assistant coach Terry Nooner Tuesday. Nooner comes to College Park after coaching at Alabama the last two seasons. Prior to his time with the Crimson Tide, Nooner coached at his alma mater, Kansas, where he played from 1997-2000.
“Coach Nooner came highly recommended to me by quite a few people,” Frese said. “I really like his background and how he’s worked his way up the ladder. He played for Roy Williams at Kansas and was a team captain. That says a lot about what kind of leader he was for one of the most successful coaches in the business. He’s been an assistant for different, successful women’s coaches. And he started at the grassroots level, so he knows both sides of the equation. We’re excited to welcome him and his family to Maryland.”
In Nooner’s first season at Alabama, the Tide won 14 games, playing one of the most difficult schedules in the nation. Seven of those victories came in Southeastern Conference play, which was the most league wins for the Crimson Tide in over 12 years. Alabama also had several notable victories including the first in Lexington against Kentucky since 2002, the first against Georgia since 2004, snapping a 23-game losing streak to the Lady Bulldogs, and the first in program history at Vanderbilt’s Memorial Gym.
“I am honored and humbled to join the Maryland family, and am incredibly excited for the future of Maryland women’s basketball,” Nooner said. “Coach Frese is a premier basketball coach on any level, and she has turned the Terrapin program into a national power. I’m ready to get to work with a terrific staff and talented student-athletes. Here at Maryland, my overall goal is to help the program get better each and every day, and help bring championships back to College Park.”
“My time spent at Alabama was wonderful, and I want to thank Coach Curry for her confidence in me throughout my years there; as well as the rest of the staff and student-athletes. There’s no doubt that the program will continue to flourish, and I’m excited to see Alabama reach its peak.”
Nooner spent one season at his alma mater as an assistant with the women’s team. He helped the Jayhawks to one of their most successful seasons, as Kansas finished with a 20-14 overall record in 2012-13. The Jayhawks advanced to the fourth NCAA Sweet 16 in program history and their first in back-to-back seasons. He returned to Lawrence after serving as an assistant for one year at Southern Illinois.
Before joining the collegiate ranks, Nooner coached high school and AAU basketball for seven years in the Kansas City area. Additionally, he served as president of KC Pro Am Inc., a nonprofit organization that provides basketball instruction, from 2007-11 and also worked at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Kansas City as a personal basketball instructor from 2006-11. Nooner’s past clients include Chauncey Billups of the L.A. Clippers, and former NBA players Tyronn Lue and Billy Thomas, in addition to several college players.
Nooner was a former guard and team captain for the Kansas men’s basketball team from 1997-2000. He helped the Jayhawks to a Sweet Sixteen, four NCAA Tournament appearances and three Big 12 championships.
Nooner earned two degrees from Kansas; a bachelor’s degree in African and African American studies, in 2000, and a master’s degree in sports administration in 2002.
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