Nicki Collen Named Assistant Women's Basketball Coach
April 01, 2003 | Women's Basketball
April 1, 2003
Louisville, Ky. - Head coach Tom Collen's first hire comes close to home as he announced the addition of his wife Nicki to the Louisville coaching staff. The two coached together as husband and wife at Colorado State for two seasons. She will serve as the recruiting coordinator and her main responsibilities on the court will be with the guards and the defense.
"Nicki's experience as a point guard at both Purdue and Marquette will be a valuable resource for us and the players," said Collen. "She led two teams to four straight NCAA Tournament appearances and she gives us instant credibility from her playing days. She participated in a Final Four and knows what it takes to get there."
"In her last year at Colorado State, she did an outstanding job in recruiting the best class in Colorado State's history. And her experience at Marquette also give her a great knowledge of Conference USA," continued Collen.
Nicki comes to Louisville after spending last season as an assistant coach at Ball State. While at Ball State her main coaching responsibilities were working with the point guards and assisting in recruiting .
Prior to her coaching at Ball State, she served two seasons as an assistant at Colorado State where she handled recruiting, scouting, team travel, guard development and all aspects of on-court coaching. In her two seasons with the Rams she helped guide them to a 47-17 overall record and the 2002 Mountain West Conference Title.
While at Colorado State, Nicki was the color analyst for women's basketball during the 2000-01 season. She also worked as a marketing representative for usasportsrankings.com. And for one season she was the program coordinator and coach for Colorado Spirit Girls Select Basketball.
Before her tenure at Colorado State, Nicki played basketball professionally for one season with the BCM Alexandros Team in Greece. From 1993-95, the former Nicki Taggart, helped guide Purdue to two Big Ten Titles and a Final Four appearance in 1994.
She transferred to Marquette for her final two seasons, guiding them to two straight NCAA Tournament appearances. While at Marquette, Nicki earned all-conference honors and finished her senior season ranked third in the nation in assists. She holds the league record for career assists average with 7.0 per game. She earned her bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Marquette, graduating with honors in 1997.
