Jeff Walz Adds Bethann Ord to Finalize Staff
June 27, 2007 | Women's Basketball
June 27, 2007
Louisville, Ky. - Bethann Ord, an assistant at the University of Colorado the past two seasons, has joined the University of Louisville women's basketball staff head coach Jeff Walz announced today. Ord spent the last eight an assistant under Kathy McConnell-Miller at Colorado and Tulsa.
"We are excited to have Bethann on our staff," said Walz. "She is a great person with outstanding character. Her knowledge of the game and her ability to relate to the student-athletes make her a great fit for our program. The addition of Bethann gives me a very well-rounded staff. All three coaches excel in all phases of the program, not just one specific area. We are looking forward to the upcoming season and to continue building the University of Louisville women's basketball program into a national power."
Ord comes from Colorado where she was instrumental in bringing the No. 29 recruiting class in the nation in 2006-07. The Buffs claimed one of the top recruits in Colorado in Aija Putnina along with two highly-regarded recruits from Tennessee in Whitney Houston and Candace Rucker.
Ord followed McConnell-Miller to Colorado from Tulsa. She spent six seasons at Tulsa where she served as the program's recruiting coordinator, while also assisting with opponent scouting and serving as the academic and compliance liaison. Her recruiting efforts at Tulsa resulted in three top 50 recruiting classes and one in the top 25. Ord helped guide Tulsa to the 2004 and 2005 WNIT, the only two postseason appearances in team history. She also helped the Golden Hurricanes land at least on player on either the All-Western Athletic Conference first or second teams in each of the past six seasons.
In 1998-99 prior to joining the staff at Tulsa, Ord was the head women's coach for Western New York in the Empire State Games. Hired by the Buffalo Sabres as a consultant and was in charge of public and community relations for the Buffalo Bandits professional lacrosse team. She was also the coordinator of arena athletics for the Marine Midland Arena in Buffalo, N.Y.
Ord also served a one year stint as an assistant at the University of Dayton (1997-98), serving as the recruiting coordinator, and one season at Auburn University (1996-97) where she was an assistant coach and director of basketball operations. While at Auburn, the Tigers won the 1997 Southeastern Conference Tournament championship and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Ord spent four seasons at the University of Pittsburgh (1992-96), helping the Panthers to a WNIT appearance in 1995. After her first season at Pittsburgh, she was an assistant coach with the Big East Conference All-Star Tour in Soa Paulo, Brazil in 1993. It was at Pittsburgh where Ord initially coached with McConnell-Miller, who was a Panthers' assistant from 1991-93.
A native of Rochester, N.Y., Ord earned her bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Maryland-Baltimore County in 1989. She was a three-year letterwinner and starter at point guard for the Retrievers. After graduation, she worked as an assistant coach at Nazareth College. She earned her master's degree in elementary education in 1992 from Wagner College, where she spent two years as an assistant.
She was married Jim Ord on Aug. 9, 2003.
