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Women's Basketball
- Title:
- Graduate Assistant
- Email:
- mzfvy7@mail.umkc.edu
Making her collegiate coaching debut with the ‘Roos, graduate assistant Marke Freeman comes to Kansas City after a stand out career at Northern Illinois where she played under current UMKC coaches Marsha Frese, Shannon Baugh and Danielle Gratton.
“Coach Frese has been a great mentor throughout my career, coaching me through some of my most difficult trials on and off the court,” Freeman said. “It is my dream to coach and I have always admired her ability to impact the team’s success and also care about each athlete as an individual.”
During her senior year with the Huskies, Freeman led the squad in scoring at 16.1 points and steals at 2.5, while being named Second Team All-Mid-American Conference for the second straight season after finishing in the top-10 in the league in six different categories. That year, the Springfield, Ill., native became only the third player ever from NIU to average at least 14.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.0 steals for her career joining WNBA veterans E.C. Hill and Stephanie Raymond.
At Northern Illinois, Freeman played under head coach Carol Owens, former coach of the USA Basketball U18 and U19 teams, guiding them to the gold medal at the 2008 FIBA U18 Americas Championships in Argentina and the 2009 FIBA U19 World Championships in Thailand. Prior to joining the Huskies, Owens served as an assistant coach at Notre Dame where she helped guide the Fighting Irish to back-to-back National Championship Game appearances and now is back with the Irish as Associate Head Coach.
After graduating from NIU, Freeman went on to play professionally with Tecza of Leszno, Poland where she averaged 14 points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals, earning her Rookie of the Year honors and a spot in the PLKK All-Star game.
Now, as a ‘Roo, Freeman will have a chance to hone her coaching skills under the tutelage of Frese and her coaching staff, while being able to pass on her knowledge to the entire UMKC roster.
“Coach Frese has coached at a number of great programs and developed some of the best athletes in the country,” Freeman added. “She is a great coach and a better person. To her, it’s not just about winning championships, but also building character and leaders. I look forward to being a part of the legacy she builds here at UMKC and gaining every ounce of knowledge that I can along the way.”
Coaching Motto: "Success is not measured by where you are. It’s measured by how far you have come and those you help along the way. Daily progress as an individual and as a team are key to winning championships."
