When the Edgewood women�s basketball coaching position opened, one of the first people who called Casey Thousand to tell her about it was her mother. �She wanted to know if I�d applied yet, and I said, �Mom, it was only posted a few hours ago,�� said Thousand. The desire to be a head coach and the opportunity to do it close to her Barneveld, Wis., home certainly appealed to Thousand (and her mother). On Tuesday, Edgewood named Casey Thousand the 12th women�s basketball coach in school history.

She replaces Tola Neils, who resigned June 16 after compiling a 51-30 record in three seasons. Bethel head coach Jon Herbrechtsmeyer and Division II Upper Iowa assistant Paul Brundson were the other two finalists for the position, according to an earlier school announcement.

�I�m very excited about this opportunity,� said Thousand. �It�s a good league and I think we can do well here in a very short amount of time. It�s going to be very exciting to be closer to home and have my family be able to come and see the games.�

Thousand comes to Edgewood after three years as an assistant coach at Carthage. Under head coach Tim Bernero, Thousand helped guide the Lady Reds to a 51-28 record and three consecutive appearances in the Collegiate Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Tournament. Last season, Carthage reached the title game falling to then unbeaten and top-ranked Illinois Wesleyan in the final.

�We are thrilled with the addition of Casey to our athletic staff,� said athletic director Al Brisack. �We think Casey has all the tools to be an outstanding head coach and we are excited to watch the program develop under her leadership.�

Thousand is no stranger to Edgewood or most members of the Northern Athletics Conference. She was a standout player for NATHC rival Lakeland from 2000 to 2004, earning all-conference recognition every season including a first team all-Lake Michigan Conference selection in 2003-04. From Lakeland, she joined the staff at MacMurray before moving on to Carthage. She holds a bachelor�s degree in sports and facility management from Lakeland and is completing her master�s degree in guidance and counseling at Carthage this month.

Edgewood will open the new season on November 16 at Elmhurst. Thousand will coach her first game at the Edgedome on Dec. 2 when the Eagles host Marian in a NATHC tilt. The Eagles are coming off a 19-8 season, their highest winning percentage in school history.