Northern Illinois University Women's Basketball

Carlsen enters the season with an overall head coaching record of 195-182, including a 11-19 clip in her first season with the Huskies. In her first season with the Huskies, Northern Illinois University overcame three double-digit deficits in a game and recorded victories, the most since the 2005-06 season, and four different players - all of which return in 2016-17 - averaged 10.0 or points per game, the first time since the 1989-90 season the program has achieved that feat. All four of those Huskies - Ally Lehman, Kelly Smith, Mikayla Voigt and Courtney Woods - all return to the team in 2016-17, marking the first time since 1988-89 with NIU Hall of Famers Denise Dove, Tammy Hinchee, Carol Owens and Gena Stubbs that the Huskies enter the season with four-or-more players who averaged 10-or-more points per game. Northern Illinois Universitys fast-paced offense scored 80-or-more points six times last season with a season-best 92 points against Miami (Ohio) at home. The team finished second in the Mid-American Conference in assists (14.7/G) and rebounds (41.4/G) last season. Lehman, a Third Team All-MAC pick, was a large factor for the Huskies distribution and boarding production as she finished first in the conference in rebounds (11.0/G) and fifth in assists (4.5/G). Carlsen, a highly-decorated head coach who spent eight seasons at Lewis University, was introduced as Northern Illinois Universitys 10th womens basketball head coach by NIU Associate Vice-President and Director of Athletics Sean T. Frazier on June 30, 2015 Im excited for this opportunity to work with the NIU family and the Huskie basketball program, said Carlsen. It was clear to me on my visit that NIU has a real chance to elevate itself to the next level. I want to thank Director of Athletics Sean T. Frazier for allowing me this wonderful opportunity to coach at Northern Illinois University. This is a great move for my family and I look forward to getting to work with this current team and instilling the expectation of competing for, and winning, Mid-American Conference Championships. In eight seasons at Lewis, Carlsen guided the Flyers to a 148-89 record, four NCAA Division II Tournament appearances and two Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) championships. When we began the search for our next head womens basketball coach at NIU, we were looking for someone who was the right fit to lead the resurgence of our program, said Frazier. Lisa Carlsen has a proven record of success, an understanding of the educational mission of our university and the integrity and values to get the job done here at NIU. I have no doubt that Lisa is the right person at the right time to lead our student-athletes and compete for championships in the years to come. In 2014-15, Lewis posted a 31-3 record and reached the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament; Carlsen was honored as the 2015 Womens Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Division II National Coach of the Year. The Flyers started the season on a 23-game winning streak and spent five weeks ranked number one in the nation. Along with earning national coach of the year honors, Carlsen was also named GLVC Coach of the Year, Illinois Basketball Coaches Association (IBCA) Womens Collegiate Coach of the Year and WBCA Region IV Division II Coach of the Year. Her final season at Lewis was the culmination of an outstanding three-year period during which Carlsen guided the Flyers to a 78-15 mark and three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. Carlsen led the Flyers to the best turnaround in the nation in Division II during the 2012-13 campaign, recording a 24-6 mark. Lewis won the GLVC East Division and Tournament championships and earned a trip to the NCAA Tournament. Carlsen was named the GLVC Coach of the Year and was also the IBCA Womens Collegiate Coach of the Year. In 2013-14, Lewis went 23-6 and reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Carlsen was named the 2014 IBCA Womens Collegiate Co-Coach of the Year and the WBCA Region IV Division II Coach of the Year. During her tenure with the Flyers, Carlsen mentored two All-Americans, two conference players of the year, four all-region honorees and 10 all-conference award winners. In eight seasons at Lewis, Carlsens program had a 100 percent graduation rate; she also served as the Senior Woman Administrator at Lewis from 2007-13. A native of Earling, Iowa, Carlsen began her basketball coaching career at Nebraska Omaha as an assistant in 1998-99 and 1999-2000. Carlsen was promoted to head coach at Nebraska Omaha prior to the 2000-01 season and led the Mavericks to postseason play in 2003, recording the programs best finish since the 1991-92 season. In 12 seasons combined between Lewis and Nebraska Omaha, Carlsen has a career record of 184-163. Following her tenure at Nebraska Omaha, Carlsen spent three seasons as the associate head coach at Winona State, helping guide the Warriors to a 12-win improvement before taking the reins at Lewis prior to the 2007-08 season. Before coaching basketball, Carlsen coached both softball and volleyball collegiately. She served as the head softball coach at the College of St. Mary (Neb.) from 1994-97 and was twice named the Midlands Collegiate Athletic Conference Coach of the Year. Carlsen then worked as an assistant volleyball coach and head softball coach at Wayne State (Neb.) during the 1997-98 school year. She complied a career record of 120-51 as a softball coach. A 1992 graduate of Northwest Missouri State, Carlsen was a four-time all-conference basketball honoree while also earning all-conference and all-region honors as a softball player. During her senior year, Carlsen was named the 1992 Champion NCAA Female Athlete of the Year. She went on to earn her masters degree from Nebraska Omaha in 1994 and played basketball professionally for the Nebraska Express of the Womens Basketball Association from 1992-95 and was named an all-star in 1995.   Carlsen and her husband, Chris, have four children; sons Jacob (19), Zachary (16) and Sam (15) and daughter Lexi (11). Having built one of the best womens basketball programs in the nation at the Division II level, Lisa is a qualified, competent and quality hire for NIU. She does a great job with her players and they like playing for her. She builds a great relationship with her team. On top of that, shes also a great representative of the athletic department and the entire university.     -- Lisa Carlsen has been a winner at every level. She did a great job at Winona State and has done a great job at Lewis. She knows how to communicate with players and get the best out of her student-athletes. Having seen her players as counselors at our camps, Ive always been impressed with the level of talent shes been able to recruit to Lewis. Shes gotten several players there that could be playing at the Division I level. I definitely believe coach Carlsen will be successful at NIU.     -- Its a great hire for NIU. Lisa is a true competitor and extremely passionate about the game of basketball. Shes high character and gets the most out of her players. I think the fans at NIU will love how shell have her team play. Lisa liked to score as a player, and she likes her teams to score too. Her teams also emphasize defense, but she definitely likes a faster-paced game with offensive freedom. NIU got a good one in Lisa Carlsen.     -- "Lisa is a great hire and will do a terrific job at Northern Illinois University. She is a proven winner, she knows the recruiting region well and is a class act."     --