Fisher Joins Husker Women?s Basketball Staff

Lincoln ? Nebraska women?s basketball coach Connie Yori announced Wednesday, April 23, that former Wyoming head coach Cindy Fisher has accepted an assistant coaching position with the Huskers.

"Cindy Fisher brings a broad range of successful coaching experiences to our staff," Yori said. "Not only does she have great coaching experience as a head coach, but she was also an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at an Old Dominion program that went to the Final Four while she was there. She has been through a building process at Wyoming and can definitely bring that mentality to our program at Nebraska."

Fisher said she was excited about the opportunity to coach at Nebraska.

"I feel very fortunate that I am going to get the chance to coach with Connie and be part of a program that competes in a great conference like the Big 12," Fisher said. "Nebraska has a great athletic tradition and I am excited to become a part of it."

In five seasons as the head coach at Wyoming, Fisher compiled a 59-81 (.421) record that included a 22-48 (.314) record in the Mountain West Conference. However, Fisher?s accomplishments at Wyoming go well beyond her overall coaching record.

Fisher?s Cowgirl teams showed improvement in each of her five seasons, beginning with a 7-19 campaign in her first season in 1998-99. In her second season, Wyoming improved to 10-18 in 1999-2000, before making another step in 2000-01 with an 11-17 overall mark. In her fourth season in 2001-02, the Cowgirls improved to 13-15 overall, before producing their first winning season under Fisher with an 18-12 overall record and 7-7 mark in Mountain West Conference action in 2002-03.

Wyoming?s 18 wins last season were the school's most victories since 1989-90. Fisher also led the Cowgirls to their first postseason appearance since 1989-90 with a trip to the 2003 WNIT, where Wyoming notched a first-round win over Montana before falling in the second round. The WNIT win over Montana marked the first postseason victory by a Wyoming women?s basketball team in school history.

Along with her success at leading the Cowgirls on the court, Fisher helped her players achieve in the classroom as well. In 2002, Wyoming led the Mountain West Conference with 11 academic all-conference selections, and in 2003 senior Carrie Bacon earned first-team Verizon/CoSIDA Academic All-District VII honors.

Bacon also starred on the court for the Cowgirls as a three-time All-Mountain West selection, including second-team honors in 2002-03.

"I?ve spent five great years at Wyoming," Fisher said. "It was quite a challenge, and I feel like I accomplished what I set out to do in my five years at Wyoming. Change is always hard, and it has been a hard decision, but I am looking forward to coaching at a great place like Nebraska."

Before taking the top job at Wyoming, Fisher spent three seasons as an assistant coach at Old Dominion, where she served as the recruiting coordinator and scheduling coordinator and prepared scouting reports while also acting as the public relations liaison for the Lady Monarchs. During her three-year stint, ODU compiled a 92-8 record, including a 34-win season and a pair of 29-win seasons. Old Dominion advanced to the national championship game in 1997, and qualified for the Sweet 16 in each of her three seasons. The Lady Monarchs also won the Colonial Athletic Association title all three years. Former ODU players coached by Fisher during her stay in Norfolk, Va., included current WNBA stars Ticha Penicheiro (Sacramento Monarchs), Clarisse Machanguana (Connecticut Sun) and Mery Andrade (Cleveland Rockers).

Fisher went to Old Dominion after spending one season as an assistant coach at Weber State, where she handled recruiting and served as the academic coordinator. She began her coaching career at Illinois State where she worked as a graduate assistant in 1991-92. She spent one season as a full-time assistant coach at Illinois State in 1992-93, before serving as an assistant coach at Mesa (Ariz.) Community College in 1993-94.

A native of Cheyenne, Wyo., Fisher was a three-year starter at Cheyenne Central High School, before competing at Eastern Wyoming College in Torrington. Her basketball career was cut short by a hip injury, but she earned her associate?s degree in 1984.

She transferred to Arizona State and graduated with a bachelor of science degree in physical education with an emphasis in exercise physiology in 1988. After graduation, she served as a physical education instructor at Mesa Community College from 1988 to 1990, before completing her master?s degree in physical education with an emphasis in administration of sport at Illinois State in 1992.