Gowan named head women's basketball coach

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WESTMINSTER, Md. – Christin Gowan has been named McDaniel College's head women's basketball coach, announced by Director of Athletics Paul Moyer on Thursday.

"When we began this search, we knew we'd attract a very strong pool of applicants and we did," Moyer said. "During the process, Christin emerged as a top candidate and, upon her visit, it became clear she was a natural fit. We found her passion for the game unsurpassed, a highly advanced knowledge of the game and intercollegiate athletics at the NCAA Division III level and, importantly for the entire search committee, an understanding of the nature of our program and its tradition of excellence. She is proven in her ability to recruit top-level student-athletes, athletically and academically, and develop them over time into highly competitive players. I am confident that she will be able to continue the success that our women's basketball program has become accustomed to over its history."

Gowan takes over as just the sixth head coach in the vaunted history of Green Terror women's basketball and just the fourth since 1967.

She has spent the last two seasons as the head coach at Southern Vermont College.

"I'd like to thank Paul Moyer and the entire search committee for entrusting me to lead the Green Terror women's basketball program," Gowan said. "From the moment I stepped on campus, it felt like home. I am honored to be taking over such a storied program. Coach Martin cultivated an incredible culture with an amazing alumni network and I am excited to continue that tradition. McDaniel women's basketball will be synonymous with passion, enthusiasm, and grit and I can't wait to get started."

Gowan improved her Mountaineers team each season at the helm, culminating with the team's first conference tournament appearance in four years in 2019. She successfully recruited on a national level with athletes representing seven states on the 2018-19 roster.

While at Southern Vermont, she also served as associate director of athletics, serving as senior woman's administrator and overseeing compliance and game-day management. She was also tabbed interim director of athletics last summer.

Prior to her arrival in Bennington, she was an assistant coach at Occidental College in Los Angeles from 2015-17.

Before her time with the Tigers, she served as an assistant coach at Division II California State University-Stanislaus, where she earned her bachelor of arts in psychology in 2010.

While a student at Stanislaus, Gowan was a four-year member of the women's basketball team and was named the institution's Scholar-Athlete of the Year as a senior. She also earned a spot on the California Collegiate Athletic Association's All-Academic Team three times. She was a CoSIDA Academic All-District second team selection in 2011.

As a player, she was the team leader in 3-pointers as a junior and a senior and led the team in assists with 114 as a senior. She still holds the Warriors' record for best free-throw percentage in a single season, hitting 70 of 80 attempts (87.5 percent) in 2007-08. She also holds the career free-throw percentage record at 79.5 percent (267 of 336).

Gowan earned her master of arts in coaching and athletic administration from Concordia-Irvine in 2013.

She officially assumes her duties on June 3.