Tonja Englund, the winningest coach in UW-Eau Claire women’s basketball history, has announced her retirement from coaching after 26 seasons at the helm for the Blugolds.
“I would like to thank former UW-Eau Claire Athletic Director Marilyn Skrivseth for giving me the opportunity to lead the Blugolds starting in 2000.,” said Englund. “It has been an honor to work with so many talented student-athletes and dedicated assistant coaches. I will always appreciate the tremendous support of our loyal Blugold women’s basketball fans and the Eau Claire community.”
Since the 2000-01 campaign, Englund has accumulated a 427-265 overall record and a 225-149 mark in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC). She has guided UW-Eau Claire to four WIAC regular season championships (2001, 2003, 2008, 2012) and two WIAC Tournament championships (2003, 2022). The Blugolds have competed in seven NCAA Tournaments under her guidance, including a run to the Final Four in 2003 — where they eventually finished third in the nation.
“I would like to thank Tonja for her commitment to UW-Eau Claire and the women’s basketball program,” UWEC Director of Athletics Jason Verdugo said. “Her impact is evident and the accomplishments speak for themselves. We appreciate her work and wish her the very best in retirement.”
Englund was named the Russell Athletic/Women’s Basketball Coaches Association National Coach of the Year in 2003. She is one of only five WIAC coaches to ever receive a national coach of the year honor. Englund has also been named WIAC Coach of the Year twice, earning the honor in 2003 and 2021. She became UW-Eau Claire’s winningest women’s basketball coach in the 2015-16 season.
In addition to her time on the court, Englund served as a Senior Lecturer and the coaching minor advisor in the Kinesiology Department for 15 years.
Prior to UW-Eau Claire, Englund taught K-12 physical education and was the Roseville Area Varsity Girls Basketball Coach for six years. In 1991 she led the University of St. Thomas to a national championship, earning All-Final Four Team Honors.
Blugold women’s basketball has an elite tradition dating back over 50 years. The Blugolds have 10 conference championships, have made the national tournament 23 times, and earned three trips to the national semifinals to their credit. UW-Eau Claire is 35-24 across the NCAA and NAIA postseasons and its players have earned 22 All-America honors.
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