Terry Nash has officially resigned as the William Woods University women’s basketball coach, effective April 14, to pursue other professional opportunities.
“When I came to William Woods, I knew this place was special,” Nash said. “It gave a young man from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the opportunity to grow not only as a coach but as a person. To have coached and led the women’s basketball program for the last four years has been a huge honor, and I want to thank athletic directors Jason Vittone, Steve Wilson and Casey Wieder for believing in me.
“Being a head coach at the collegiate level was a dream of mine, and I performed the duty with integrity and pride every day. I want to thank the 31 different players that accepted me to be their coach as well. Everything I did on a daily basis was for them, and I owe everything to them. A lot of moments to be proud of and the opportunity to not only coach them but most importantly know them as people is why I am blessed.
“Last but most importantly, I want to thank my wife, Tessa. It’s not easy to be the partner of a head coach. There’s a lot of long days and hours that most don’t see. She supported me through the highs and lows with grace, and I can’t thank her enough for motivating me every day.
“It was an absolute honor to be an Owl at William Woods, and the best is yet to come. I know AD Wieder will continue to lead them in the right direction and get the perfect person for the job to push William Woods women’s basketball to new heights. Thank you, William Woods, you will always have a special place in my heart. GO OWLS.”
Nash, the Owls’ 12th women’s hoops coach, spent four seasons in charge, qualifying for the AMC Tournament all four years and going 43-71.
His teams included Sydney Booker, one of two WWU players in school history with 1,000 career points and rebounds (1,417 points and 1,005 rebounds), Natalie Thomas, one of 27 in the program’s 1,000-point club with 1,118 and single-season free throw percentage record holder at 86.9% in 2023-24 and Katie Keilholz, the Owls’ leader in career 3-pointers made (233) and single-game 3-pointers made (nine).
When Keilholz knocked down her record-breaking nine 3-pointers, William Woods had its best offensive game under Nash’s guidance, securing a commanding 101-50 victory over Crowley’s Ridge College on Feb. 15 in Fulton. It was the first time in 20 seasons the Owls eclipsed the century mark.
Overall, Nash’s Owls received two second-team All-American Midwest Conference selections, two third-team All-AMC honorees, seven honorable mention All-AMC representatives, two AMC All-Freshman Team selections and three AMC All-Tournament Team picks (the AMC added the all-tournament team in 2022-23). Academically, his teams earned 35 Academic All-AMC honorees, 10 NAIA Scholar-Athlete representatives and two CSC Academic All-District selections.
“When I joined Woods back in November of 2022, Terry was one of the first individuals who welcomed me into The Woods family,” William Woods Interim Director of Intercollegiate Athletics, Casey Wieder, said. “Terry’s love for the game came through as I watched his team battle night in and night out. During his four years, his players were not only successful on the court but in the classroom. He is leaving this program better than he found it, and we thank him immensely for that.”
A search for Nash’s replacement has begun.
