The University of Illinois Springfield Athletics Department announced today that Casey Thousand is the new Prairie Stars women’s basketball head coach. Thousand has spent the last three seasons as an assistant coach at Northern Michigan University, and has seven years of head coaching experience at Edgewood College.
“I would like to thank Jim Sarra for this excellent opportunity,” said Thousand. “He has this athletic department going in a positive direction, and I cannot wait to be a part of the UIS staff. I would also like to thank Chancellor Susan Koch. Her energy and enthusiasm about females in sports struck a nerve with me. I wanted to be her next women’s basketball coach!
“I am excited to connect with the Springfield community. Springfield is a special place and people who want to be a part of our women’s basketball program. I look forward to building these relationships and showing what UIS women’s basketball is all about.”
“The future of UIS women’s basketball is very bright with Casey Thousand at the helm,” said Director of Athletics Jim Sarra. “Casey is one of the most respected assistant coaches in the Midwest Region, and has been a successful head coach at the NCAA Division III level. She will help the UIS women’s basketball program fulfill our vision and mission, and I can’t wait to see all of the great things that she accomplishes in Springfield.”
Thousand was named an assistant coach at Northern Michigan in 2016, and was promoted to Associate Head Coach last summer. The Wildcats improved in the conference standings in each of her three years, and they have a record of 55-36 in that span. Northern Michigan reached the conference tournament in all three seasons.
Last season, Thousand helped Northern Michigan go 23-10 overall, and finish second in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference’s (GLIAC) North Division. The Wildcats reached the GLIAC Tournament Championship game, and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Division II Tournament. Northern Michigan defeated four ranked opponents, including two victories over Grand Valley State, a top-10 team in the nation.
While Thousand was at Northern Michigan, she was part of a program that had one of the top defenses in the country. The Wildcats finished in the top four in the GLIAC in scoring defense in all three of her seasons, and last year ranked third in NCAA Division II by allowing just 52.1 points a game. Northern Michigan allowed opponents to shoot just 35.5 percent from the field and 29.5 percent from three-point range in 2018-19. It also had a +8.6 rebounding margin for the year.
Thousand helped coach three all-GLIAC players last year, including two first-team honorees, and it also had two members on the all-defensive team. The previous year, one player was named all-conference and the conference Freshman of the Year, and in 2017, two players were all-conference and all-defensive team.
Thousand was the head coach at Edgewood from 2009-2016, and is the longest tenured coach in that program’s history. She won 83 games in that span, including a 74-57 record in Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) action. The Eagles made the NACC Tournament in four of her seasons. Thousand helped Edgewood women’s basketball players earn 15 all-NACC awards.
One of her best teams came in 2013-14 when Edgewood had one of its best seasons in over five years. The Eagles went 14-6 in conference play and reached the conference tournament semifinals.
Thousand started her coaching career as an assistant coach at Carthage College. Carthage went 51-28 in her three seasons, and reached the conference tournament three times, including one appearance in the finals. She also coached at MacMurray College in Jacksonville, Ill. for one year.
Thousand attended Lakeland College from 2000 to 2004, and was a four-time all-conference selection. She earned first-team honors as a senior after leading her team to an undefeated conference season and a NCAA Tournament berth.
Thousand graduated from Lakeland with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sports and Facility Management in 2004. She earned her Masters of Education from Carthage with an emphasis in Leadership in 2009.
