Coach Mark Thomas
Mark
Thomas begins his 21st year for the 2007-08 season as the coach of the UW-Stout
women's basketball team. Thomas took over a perennial loser in 1987, inheriting
a team that won only two games in the two seasons before he joined the Stout
staff. Since then, he has combined relentless recruiting with a run-and-gun
philosophy to make the Devils one of the most successful - and exciting
- small college teams in the nation. Thomas, who is the dean of WIAC women's
basketball coaches, has a 332-174 record, the most wins of any coach in
WIAC women's basketball history.
Thomas has made a habit of getting the best out of his players. Over the past 16 seasons, the Blue Devils have finished in the top four of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) - one of the top NCAA Division III women's basketball conferences - 15 times.
In 2007, the Blue Devils won their fifth WIAC title, and Stout advanced to the NCAA Division III tournament for the ninth time. Thomas was named the WIAC coach of the year, the sixth time he earned the honors, and was also named the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) coach of the year for Division III women's basketball for the second consecutive year.
Contact Information:
- thomasm@uwstout.edu
- 715-232-2465
- 222 Sports & Fitness Center
In 2002, Thomas guided the Blue Devils to their first ever undisputed conference title - not just in women's basketball, but in any of the Stout women's sports - and was named the conference coach of the year for the third time. In 1997, the Blue Devils won their first ever conference title, a shared title.
Are the Blue Devils a changing team? There may be some changes - i.e., the Blue Devils have added some height and size to their post positions - but as long as Thomas is at the helm, Stout followers will be able to expect the run-and-gun style winning offense which has managed to attract more and more fans each year.
Look for the Blue Devils to shoot the lights out again this year. And Thomas has proven this style as a consistent winner, with his winning percentage at .664. Thomas coached teams have figured into 83 percent of all Stout wins since 1971.
Thomas stresses not only athletics, but academics. Recently, the Blue Devils ranked No. 1 in the country in grade-point average for Division III women's basketball teams and the Blue Devil squad is consistently one of the top ranked academic squads, ranking in the top 10 academically since the award was established.
In addition to his duties as women's basketball coach, Thomas also serves as an assistant football coach and an assistant baseball coach. Before coming to Stout, Thomas was an assistant football and baseball coach at Spring Valley, and co-coached a highly successful girls' basketball program for his alma matter.
Thomas has served as the chair of the Central Regional Advisory Committee, the group that ranks regional teams throughout the year.
During the summer, Thomas is a regular at area stock car tracks, both as a spectator and driver. Thomas' summer camp attracts hundreds of elementary, middle school and high school-aged girls from the surrounding area and beyond.
Thomas was a two-sport letterwinner at UW-Superior, quarterbacking the Yellowjacket football team and playing catcher for the baseball team. He and his wife, Tracy, have two daughters, Lindsay and Leslie, and a son, Mitchell.
The Line on Thomas
NAIA District 14 champions, 1991
NAIA National Tournament, 1991
NCAA Division III playoffs, 1992, 93, 94, 96, 97, 02, 05, 06, 07
NCAA Division III second round, 1997, 2005, 2006
NCAA Division III Sweet 16, 2005, 2006
WIAC Coach of the Year, 1993, 97, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007
WBCA Division III women's coach of the year, 2005, 2006
WIAC regular season and tournament champions, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007
WWIAC co-champions, 1997
| Year | Overall | WIAC |
|---|---|---|
| 06-07 | 23-6 | 13-3# |
| 05-06 | 22-8 | 12-4# |
| 04-05 | 24-7 | 12-4# |
| 03-04 | 18-9 | 10-6 |
| 02-03 | 19-8 | 10-6 |
| 01-02 | 23-5 | 15-1* |
| 00-01 | 18-7 | 11-5 |
| 99-00 | 15-11 | 10-6 |
| 98-99 | 14-12 | 10-6 |
| 97-98 | 16-9 | 10-6 |
| 96-97 | 19-8 | 14-2** |
| 95-96 | 17-9 | 9-7 |
| 94-95 | 16-9 | 9-7 |
| 93-94 | 21-5 | 13-3 |
| 92-93 | 21-4 | 13-3 |
| 91-92 | 19-7 | 12-4 |
| 90-91 | 19-11 | 9-7 |
| 89-90 | 15-11 | 6-10 |
| 88-89 | 10-16 | 4-12 |
| 87-88 | 6-18 | 3-13 |
| TOTAL (20 years) | 355-180 | 205-115 |
| (.664) | (.661) |
*WIAC Champion # WIAC co-champion **WWIAC co-champion
Assistant Coach Erin (Churchill) Konsela
Former
UW-Stout standout guard Erin (Churchill) Konsela begins her first season as an assistant
women's basketball coach. Konsela, a Plum City native, played for UW-Stout
from 2001-05 where she was a two-time all-WIAC honorable mention pick, a
four year letterwinner and an integral part when Stout won conference championships
in 2002 and 2005. Konsela played in all 112 games she suited up for, which,
up to that point, was a school record. She earned a starting role
with the Blue Devils during her sophomore season and went on to start 83
games. For her career, Konsela finished with 844 total points (7.5 ppg),
483 rebounds (4.2 rpg) and 383 assists (3.4 apg). Since graduating from
Stout early childhood education, Konsela has been pursuing a masters from
Stout in family development. She has coached at Eau Claire Regis and in
the Menomonie School District. In addition to coaching duties, Konsela will
also be an instructor in the Physical Education Department. Konsela, the former Erin Churchill, recently married Eric Konsela and the couple reside in
Menomonie.
Assistant Coach Marianne Galfano
Marianne Galfano begins her first season as an assistant with the Blue Devils and brings a vast array of knowledge and experiences to the UW-Stout program. A graduate of Cleveland State University where she played basketball and volleyball, Galfano has worked as a coach at varying levels, both head coach and assistant, as an instructor in graphic arts and photography, as a personal trainer and as an athletic director. She most recently was the head girls basketball coach at DW Daniel High School in South Carolina and was the track and field throws coach when the team won the South Carolina state championship. She was an assistant women's basketball coach and assistant women's golf coach at North Central College in Naperville, Ill, and was the athletic director at St. Joseph Academy in Cleveland, Ohio. Galfano has also completed coursework in fine arts and a masters degree in adult education.