| UW-River Falls head coach Cindy Holbrook is the person to receive the WIAC women's basketball coach of the year and player of the year honors. Photo by Steve Frommell, d3photography.com |
UW-River Falls announced that Cindy Holbrook has stepped down from her position as the Falcons' head basketball coach to take a new position in the school's admissions office. Her assistant Paul Richie has been named the interim head coach for 2018-19.
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"I would like to thank Coach Holbrook for her commitment to the Falcon women's basketball program over the last 23 years," said UW-River Falls athletic director Crystal Lanning in the release announcing the move. "As one of our longest tenured coaches, Cindy has made a lasting impact on many student-athletes and I am grateful for the leadership she has provided. I wish her the very best as she pursues a new professional opportunity."
Holbrook spent 23 seasons with the Falcons, including the last 18 as their head coach, and went 251-220 over that period. River Falls' best season under Holbrook came in 2015-16 when the Falcons went 23-6 and won the WIAC title. The Falcons advanced to the NCAA Tournament second round and were ranked No. 11 in the country during that season.
Holbrook is also the only person to be named the WIAC Coach of the Year (2001, 2015) and Player of the Year (1994). Holbrook won the Player of the Year honor during her senior season at UW-Stout where she was a two-time All-Conference selection.
Paul Richie, who has been an assistant to Holbrook the past two seasons, will take over as the Falcons' interim head coach for the upcoming season. Richie played four years at Macalester and spent time as the assistant varsity basketball coach at Southwest High School in Minneapolis.
The Falcons finished 16-10, 7-7 in the WIAC last season.