Chance Lindley Named Head Basketball Coach for UNO
Apr 16, 2011 | Women's Basketball
News Release
OMAHA, Neb. - The University of Nebraska Omaha announced today that Chance Lindley has been named the school's new head women's basketball coach.
Lindley, an assistant women's coach at the University of Arizona, will become the seventh head coach in school history and the first male to lead the women's program in its 40-year history. Lindley replaces Patty Patton Shearer, who resigned on March 2 for personal reasons.
"We had strong interest in this position from coaches around the nation, and there were many strong candidates," said Trev Alberts, UNO's Director of Athletics. "In the end, we were impressed by Chance's energy and passion as well as his proven track record as a head coach. We think he will be a significant asset in our transition to Division I."
A Wichita, Kan., native, Lindley put together an impressive 148-33 record as a head coach in the high school and junior college ranks in Kansas for eight years before taking the job as an assistant at Arizona under Niya Butts in 2008. Lindley spent the past three seasons on the bench for the Wildcats in charge of all the defensive game planning and in-game offensive and defensive strategy. Lindley worked with the post players in practices and assisted in all of the Wildcats' recruiting efforts.
"I am very grateful and fortunate to be a part of the UNO family," Lindley said. "This is an exciting time for the athletic department as it moves to Division I, and I'm looking forward to contributing to a new era for Maverick athletics.
"We are going to bring in outstanding student-athletes who will work hard and eventually compete for championships in The Summit League. This will be a team fans will enjoy watching and be proud to call Omaha's Team."
Lindley, 35, helped the Wildcats to a 21-12 record this season, the most wins for the program since 2004. Arizona finished fourth in the Pac-10, its highest conference finish since 2004, and appeared in the postseason for the first time since 2005.
Prior to his stint at Arizona, Lindley led Barton County Community College to a school-record 34-4 mark and a fourth-place finish at the NJCAA Tournament in 2007-08. The Cougars won the Region IV Championship, and Lindley was named the 2007-08 NJCAA Division I District F Women's Basketball Coach of the Year, the Jayhawk West Coach of the Year and the KBCA Junior College Women's Basketball Coach of the Year. Lindley served as an assistant at Barton County CC in 2006-07 when the Cougars went 27-3, giving the Cougars a 61-7 (.897) record while Lindley was at the school.
“We are extremely excited to have Chance join the Maverick athletic department," said Josh White, Associate Athletic Director at UNO and the head of the search. "We feel that he has the personality that will fit well within our athletic department and that he is someone whose aspirations matched ours. We think his Midwest roots and strong recruiting connections in the region will enable him to bring top-flight players to UNO.”
Lindley was a standout coach in the Kansas high school ranks for six years before moving to the collegiate level. He began his coaching career in 2000-01 at Wichita Independent High School where he led the girls' basketball program to an 18-4 record in his second season, the best mark in school history and more wins than the previous three seasons combined.
Lindley then moved to Wichita Collegiate High School in 2002-03 and amassed a 91-10 (.901) record over four seasons including three straight 20-win seasons at a school that had never achieved one 20-win season.
After an 18-5 record in his first season, Lindley and the Spartans went 73-5 (.936) in the next three years and reached at least the state semifinals all three years. In 2003-04, the Spartans went 23-3 and were state runners-up in Kansas 4A (third-largest classification), then finished third in 2004-05 with a 24-2 record. After reclassifying to Kansas 3A in 2005-06, Lindley led the Spartans to a 26-0 season and a state championship. He was named the Kansas 3A Coach of the Year for his accomplishments and twice won Wichita Metro Coach of the Year.
Lindley graduated cum laude from Wichita State in 2000, majoring in Physical Education K-12. Chance and his wife, Melissa, have a 4-year-old daughter, Brookelyn.
The Mavericks will introduce Lindley to the greater Omaha community at a news conference which will be announced next week.
Lindley Profile
Education: Wichita State, 2000 (Physical Education K-12)
Birth date: February 8, 1976
Birth place: Wichita, Kan.
Family: Melissa (wife), Brookelyn (4)
Coaching Experience
2008-11 - Assistant Women's Coach, University of Arizona
2007-08 - Head Women's Coach, Barton County Community College
2006-07 - Assistant Women's Coach, Barton County Community College
2002-06 - Head Girls' Coach, Wichita Collegiate High School
2000-02 - Head Girls' Coach, Wichita Independent High School
Coaching Record
As a High School Head Coach - 114-29
As a Junior College Head Coach - 34-4
As a Head Coach - 148-33
UNO Women's Head Basketball Coaches (1971-2011)
2011 - Chance Lindley
2004-11 - Patty Patton Shearer
2000-04 - Lisa Carlsen
1998-00 - Paula Buscher
1976-98 - Cherri Mankenberg
1973-76 - Dee Grindle
1971-73 - Joyce Morris
