Sidelines

Federal Way High School graduate Jodie Kaczor Berry is in her seventh year as a member of the Gonzaga women’s basketball coaching staff and fifth year as an assistant coach. She served as the coordinator of women’s basketball operations for the Bulldogs for two seasons prior to being promoted to an assistant coach role in the summer of 2005. Kaczor Berry was promoted to Gonzaga’s top assistant last summer after Jennifer Mountain left to become the head coach at Santa Clara University.

Kaczor Berry brings a solid basketball background to GU after earning four varsity letters at Western Washington University. She finished her career as WWU’s career leader in three-pointers (210) and free-throw percentage (81.9) and earned All-Great Northwest Athletic Conference honors in 2001 and 2002. Western Washington posted a 95-24 record during Kaczor Berry’s four-year career and four trips to the NCAA Division II Tournament with a final four appearance in 2000. Kaczor Berry led Federal Way to the 1996 state girls basketball championship.

Here is a story by Jason Belzer, currently posted on collegeinsider.com that names the 25 best assistant coaches at women’s mid-major basketball programs across the nation.
Federal Way’s Kaczor Berry is ranked fourth overall by Belzer:

Over the past few seasons, I compiled lists of the top assistant coaches in men’s college basketball, most of which have now gone on to lead their own programs as head coaches. On the heels of the success of these lists, I have decided to provide a similar ranking for women’s college basketball “Mid-Major” assistant coaches.
Ranking the quality of a team is never easy. Ranking the quality of a coach is even harder. Ranking an assistant coach is well… almost down right impossible. There are so many factors that go into determining what exactly makes a good assistant coach; work ethic, servants mentality, reliability, attention to detail, recruiting skills, overall basketball knowledge, the list goes on and on. What is most imperative to remember is that even though assistant coaches are integral parts of each program, they are not irreplaceable. A good assistant supports his head coach, and not the other way around.
In compiling this list, several factors were weighed, one of the more significant of which was an assistant’s longevity with the program. Those that have served their time and paid their dues with unquestionable loyalty to their head coaches have proven their worth as an assistant and will themselves be rewarded one day with the opportunity to lead a program. Other factors that went into the rankings include; overall program success while on staff, total years as an assistant, head coaching experience, recruiting, reputation amongst peers, and future potential. Many staffs, as you will see, have two long tenured assistants that have worked in tandem and are thus grouped together.
Almost all of those listed will one day be head of their own programs and those that are not will only be so by choice. Most importantly is the realization that this list was created not to classify the haves from the have-nots, but to honor those assistants who have done great work throughout their careers and bring something truly special to a staff.

1. Lori Bodnar – Kent State
As one of the most successful mid-major women’s college basketball assistants in the nation, Bodnar has played an integral role in leading the Golden Flashes to 3 Mid-American Conference Tournament Championships, 12 20-win seasons and 4 NCAA Tournament appearances over her 23 years with the program. She has also been vital in recruiting and coaching 14 All-MAC selections and 2 MAC tournament MVPs.

2. Jennifer Roos – Bowling Green
Roos enters her 11th season with the Falcons, where she has helped lead the program to tremendous success including 5 MAC Tournament crowns and 7 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. During the last 8 years, the Falcons have compiled an amazing 213-50 overall record, including 110-18 in MAC regular-season play and 131- 21 in all games vs. league foes during that time.

3. Misti Cussen – Oral Roberts
Since joining the Oral Roberts coaching staff in 1996, Cussin has assisted the Golden Eagles in winning 230 games and five NCAA tournament appearances. As the team’s top assistant, she has also helped the program secure five Summit League tournament titles, three All-American selections, five conference players of the year, five conference newcomers of the year, and 25 all-conference selections.

4. Jodie Kaczor Berry – Gonzaga
Kazcor Berry has helped guide Gonzaga to new heights, as the Bulldogs have made three-straight NCAA tournament appearances since she was promoted as top assistant in 2008. The Bulldogs’ amazing run of success includes winning 36-straight West Coast Conference games, making their first-ever trip to the Sweet Sixteen in 2010 and their inaugural appearance in the Elite Eight in 2011.

5. Megan Gebbia – Marist
Gebbia’s resume includes over 18 years of coaching experience as she begins her 8th season on the Marist staff, where she has helped lead the Red Foxes to 8 consecutive MAAC regular season titles and six straight NCAA tournament appearances. She also spent time at Wright State, UMBC and her Alma mater Towson.

6. Jeanine Radice – Delaware
As the longest tenured current assistant coach among Delaware women’s athletics teams, Radice has been a key component behind the Blue Hens run of success, which includes 258 wins, 2 NCAA tournament berths, 5 WNIT appearances and 3 conference titles.

7. Heather Stephens – Liberty
Entering her 9th season on the Lady Flames’ sideline, Stephens has helped build the program into a dominant force in the Big South by assisting them to 192 wins, 6 conference titles, and an appearance in the NCAA Sweet 16 in 2005.

8. Brad Nelson – Northern Iowa
Nelson begins his 12th season at Northern Iowa, where he has played a crucial role in the Panthers’ 2 NCAA Tournament and 3 WNIT postseason runs. Since being named recruiting coordinator in the 2001-02 season, he has helped sign 4 MVC All-Conference players including the 2011 MVC Player of the Year.

9. Charlie Buscaglia – Robert Morris
Enters his 8th season on the Colonials staff and 3rd as associate head coach. Helped RMU to back to back NEC Regular Season and Tournament championships and NCAA Tournament appearances in 2007 and 2008 In 2009-10 team set records for regular season wins (22) and captured its first outright NEC Regular Season. He spent 5 seasons as an assistant at his Alma mater, Manhattan, before joining the RMU staff.

10. Lisa Hayden – Miami (Ohio)
Over her 11 tenure at Miami, Lisa has helped developed 6 Redhawks players presently listed among Miami’s career top 10 in three-point field goals. She has also been instrumental to Miami’s 2 MAC Championships and first NCAA Tournament appearance in the last 7 years.