With 18 years collegiate coaching experience, including 12 seasons as a collegiate head coach, Melissa "Missy" Tiber has been tabbed as the new head women’s basketball coach at the University of North Alabama.
Tiber comes to UNA after serving as the head women’s basketball coach at NCAA Division I Southern Illinois University from 2009-13. She also has 14 years of experience at the NCAA Division II level at West Liberty State College, Belmont Abbey College and Tusculum College.
"We are excited to have Missy join our UNA athletics department," said UNA Athletic Director Mark Linder. "She is a person of high character and has great passion for the game of basketball. She will be a great fit for UNA and the Shoals community. I know our student-athletes are excited to start working with her and preparing for the 2013-14 season."
Tiber becomes the eighth head women’s basketball coach in the history of the UNA program. She follows Terry Fowler, who posted a 115-97 record over seven seasons at the school with two NCAA Tournament appearances.
"I couldn’t be more excited to be a member of the UNA athletic program and to represent the Lions as the head women’s basketball coach," Tiber said. "This is an unbelievable opportunity to come in and take over a program that has already had a lot of success. I am looking for forward to continuing that tradition and taking the next step."
From 2005-2009, Tiber was the head women’s basketball coach at Tusculum where she took a program at the bottom of the South Atlantic Conference and compiled a record of 86-34 and a conference mark of 40-20. Over her last two seasons there, Tusculum was 52-11 overall and 26-4 in conference play, winning back-to-back conference championships and twice playing in the NCAA Tournament. The NCAA Tournament appearance (2008) was the first in school history. The team’s first NCAA Tournament victory in 2009 was also a landmark for the Pioneer women’s basketball program.
Prior to her time at Tusculum, Tiber spent four seasons as the head coach at NCAA DII Belmont Abbey College. During that time, her teams compiled an overall record of 81-36 and a conference mark of 61-19. Under her leadership the 2001-2002 team posted a 22-8 record, won the Carolinas Virginia Athletic Conference Regular Season Championship, the Carolinas Virginia Tournament Championship and advanced to participate in the NCAA Division II Tournament.
Tiber began her coaching career as an assistant women’s basketball coach at her alma mater, West Liberty (W.V.) State College. During her six years as an assistant, West Liberty was one of the most successful Division II basketball programs in the East Region. The Bears won four West Virginia Conference Tournament Championships, three West Virginia regular season championships and participated in four NCAA Division II Tournaments. West Liberty averaged over 20 wins per season during her time there.
During her coaching career, Tiber has coached numerous players who have received conference, regional and national awards, and every player that has exhausted their eligibility playing for her has gone on to earn their degree.
Tiber is a 1994 graduate of West Liberty State with a Bachelor of Science degree. She also has a Master’s degree in Sport Leadership from Virginia Commonwealth University.
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