Abby Owings, a former three-time Division III All-American, has joined the Bellarmine University women’s basketball coaching staff as an assistant, Coach Chancellor Dugan announced Tuesday.
Owings comes to Bellarmine — which begins Division I play this year — after spending one season as an assistant coach at Shawnee State. The Kentucky native first gained Dugan’s attention when the Knights scrimmaged Thomas More, where Owings starred from 2014-18.
“I’m so pleased to have Abby be a part of our program,” Dugan said. “She brings a ton of energy and is so enthusiastic about wanting to help lead Bellarmine into the DI era. Her success on the court at Thomas More caught my eye when we scrimmaged against them and that led me to following her career with great interest. I have always been impressed with her hard work and her character.”
“This is a dream come true for me,” Owings said. “I would like to thank Coach Dugan for giving me the opportunity to be on her staff and to be a part of Bellarmine women’s basketball. Words cannot express how excited I am to help lead our women’s basketball program into a new era. I am looking forward to learning from Coach Dugan and staff every day along with building strong relationships with our student-athletes.”
Owings helped lead Shawnee State to a superb season in 2019-20 as the Bears went 29-4 and captured the Mid-South Conference Tournament title. Shawnee State earned a berth in the NAIA Division I Tournament before it was canceled due to the coronavirus, and Bailey Cummins and Brandie Snow were named All-Americans.
Prior to her stint at Shawnee State, Owings spent the 2018-19 season as a graduate assistant at Morehead State. She helped guide the Eagles to a 24-11 record and second-place finish in the Ohio Valley Conference. The team advanced to the second round of the WNIT after knocking off Ohio State. Miranda Crockett, Aliyah Jeune and McKenzie Calvert were honored as All-OVC.
Owings left Thomas More as one of the most accomplished players in program history. She was a three-time D3Hoops.com All-American (sophomore-senior), two-time WBCA All-American (junior and senior), recognized as the Presidents Athletic Conference Player of The Year as a junior and honored as the Great Lakes Region Rookie of The Year as a freshman. She helped lead the Saints to DIII national titles in 2015 and 2016, and they were the national runner-up her final season in 2018. A three-time team captain, Owings is ranked second on Thomas More’s career scoring list (1,789 points), third in assists (434) and first in 3-pointers made (264).
Before playing collegiately in Crestview Hills, Kentucky, at Thomas More, Owings was a four-year starter for Simon Kenton High School in Independence, Kentucky. She led the Lady Pioneers to a 94-32 record over her tenure and was the team’s leading scorer during her sophomore (13.8), junior (12.9), and senior (16.9) seasons.
Owings earned bachelor’s degrees in educational studies and communication at Thomas More. She will continue her pursuit of a master’s degree at Bellarmine.
“I believe the future is very bright for Bellarmine women’s basketball as we take our next step into Division I,” Owings said. “To be a part of this transition is an invaluable experience, and I can’t wait to get to work. Go Knights!”
https://athletics.bellarmine.edu/news/2020/8/4/owings-added-to-womens-basketball-coaching-staff.aspx
