Egner retirement. Graphic courtesy: UWSP Sports Information
STEVENS POINT, WI (WSAU) — Longtime UWSP Women’s Basketball Coach Shirley Egner has announced her retirement after 33 years leading the Pointers.
Egner leaves with numerous accolades to her name including the all-time leader in wins for both UWSP and the WIAC. Her 572-292 all-time record includes one national title in 2002 and ten trips to the NCAA tournament. Her teams won at least two games in the tournament in six of those trips.
Her teams also won numerous WIAC tournament and regular-season titles.
“Coach Egner is a beacon in the women’s basketball community,” UWSP Director of Athletics Brad Duckworth said in a press release on Wednesday. “Having served as a women’s basketball coach myself for 19 years, I can say no one is more respected than Shirley. Between UWSP and her other head coaching stops, she has won over 700 games. Over her 30-plus year career, Coach has been monumental in the growth of her players and the Pointer Program. Not only is our program better because of her, the game of women’s basketball, our department, our university and community is better because of her. I have the utmost respect for Coach and her entire family. Basketball has been her vehicle to influence others and I too can personally say I am a better professional and person because of her. While we will miss her passion and energy on the sidelines, she will not be far from Pointers Athletics. The women’s basketball program is in great shape moving forward. Coach has certainly left a tremendous legacy.”
“I am beyond grateful to have spent 33 years mentoring young women at UWSP,” said Egner. “I tried to build this program as a contender each season by playing hard and being unselfish. Each year, we would strive for a culture of excellence on and off the court and to compete consistently at a high level throughout every game. I have learned so many invaluable life lessons from all of the players who have gone through our program. Thank you for shaping my life.”
A search for Egner’s replacement will begin immediately.
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