Upper Iowa University Director of Athletics Rick Hartzell announced that the University and Head Women’s Basketball Coach Micha Thompson have mutually agreed to part ways, effective immediately. Associate Head Coach Kelly Kielsmeier will serve as Interim Head Coach through the end of the basketball season.
“In my career as an athletic director, I have always believed that changing a head coach during a season is not often for the betterment of the program or, more importantly, the student-athletes,” Hartzell said. “But in this circumstance, it is evident that what is best for our current student-athletes and for the overall good of the program, is to make this change now. While Micha has brought quality, high-character student-athletes with a never-give-up attitude to the program, we simply have not been performing at a competitive level. Furthermore, our struggles this season do not bode well for the future. On behalf of Peacock Athletics, I want to thank Micha, Ryan and the entire Thompson family for their commitment to Upper Iowa and wish them all of the best in the future.”
Upper Iowa will honor the terms of Thompson’s contract, which ends this spring.
The 2018-19 season marks Thompson’s third as the Head Coach of the Peacocks. During her time at UIU, the program has posted an overall record of 9-63 and a Northern Sun Conference mark of 4-48 including their current 32-game losing streak in the league.
A national search for a new head coach will begin in March. There is no set timeline to make a hire, and there will be no comment on the search or the candidates until a hire is announced.
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