Kevin Eckert joined the Indiana women’s basketball program ahead of the 2012-13 season, having spent the previous decade as an assistant coach on Curt Miller’s staff at Bowling Green. In his second year in Bloomington, Eckert contributed to Indiana equalling its school record for wins with a 21-13 record in 2013-14. The Hoosiers made a […]
Kevin Eckert joined the Indiana women’s basketball program ahead of the 2012-13 season, having spent the previous decade as an assistant coach on Curt Miller’s staff at Bowling Green.
In his second year in Bloomington, Eckert contributed to Indiana equalling its school record for wins with a 21-13 record in 2013-14. The Hoosiers made a postseason appearance for the first time in five years, reaching the quarterfinals of the Women’s National Invitation Tournament (WNIT). IU’s three postseason wins over Belmont, Marquette, and Northwestern marked the highest total in a single year in the program’s history.
The 2013-14 Hoosiers kicked off the season with the best start in the school’s history at 14-0. This success earned Indiana its highest national rank of No. 22 in the AP Top 25 Poll on January 6, 2014, marking only the second instance that IU was ranked in the AP Poll (the previous was in 1993).
In addition to matching the program record for wins, Indiana accomplished other significant milestones in 2013-14. IU completed non-conference play with a flawless 13-0 record, achieving the most non-Big Ten regular season victories in program history and becoming just the fourth Hoosier team to finish non-conference play undefeated. Indiana also set a new school record for the most 3-point field goals made in a single season, tallying 259, surpassing the prior record of 204 set in 1997-98. This total ranks as the second highest in Big Ten history for 3-pointers made in one year.
Eckert played a key role in putting together a top 30 recruiting class for the 2013-14 season. The first true recruiting class during his time at Indiana lived up to expectations in his second year. The six scholarship freshmen combined for more points (1,466) than any other freshman class in the Big Ten and ranked among the top five nationally in point production for freshman classes. Indiana’s freshmen contributed 61.9 percent of the team’s total points in 2013-14.
Freshman Larryn Brooks earned Second Team All-Big Ten honors and conference All-Freshman accolades last year. Brooks made history as the first freshman in Indiana’s history to score over 500 points in a single season. She set IU freshman records in scoring (554 points), 3-pointers made (67), assists (154), and free throws made (129). Her scoring total ranks seventh overall for a single season at IU, and she is tied for fourth in made 3-point field goals while ranking third in assists.
In 2012-13, Eckert guided Indiana to its highest win total in three years, almost doubling the program’s total wins from the previous year before the new coaching staff took over. In non-conference play, IU posted a 9-4 record, which was only the third instance since 2000 and the first since 2006-07 that an Indiana team secured nine or more non-Big Ten victories in one season. To put it in context, IU women’s basketball has only won more than nine non-league games three times in its history.
During Big Ten play, Eckert helped Indiana double its conference win total compared to the previous year, including the program’s first victory over a ranked opponent since 2010 when IU defeated No. 21 Purdue.
Before joining IU, Eckert was instrumental in leading Bowling Green to a Mid-American Conference (MAC) division title in each of his last eight seasons, where BGSU enjoyed postseason appearances every year, including five NCAA Tournament bids. Under his guidance, BGSU captured five MAC Tournament championships, won 21 or more games in the last nine seasons, and recorded 28 or more wins in a single season on four occasions.
In the 2006-07 season, BGSU achieved the most successful year in MAC women’s basketball history, winning 31 games. The Falcons defeated Oklahoma State and Vanderbilt in the NCAA Tournament, becoming the first team from the MAC to reach the Sweet Sixteen.
Throughout his tenure at Bowling Green, Eckert contributed to the development of four players who received All-America honors: Lauren Prochaska (2010, 2011), Tracy Pontius (2009), Kate Achter (2008), and Ali Mann (2006, 2007). Prochaska was a two-time MAC Player of the Year, while Achter and Mann also attained the conference’s top playing honors during their careers.
Eckert joined BGSU after spending four seasons with the University of Buffalo’s women’s basketball program, where he helped the team achieve a 61-51 record, including consecutive seasons with 18 or more wins. Prior to his time in Buffalo, Eckert served two seasons as a graduate assistant on Ohio University’s men’s basketball staff, where he also completed his undergraduate studies.
Eckert received his bachelor’s degree in physical education with a focus on sports science and coaching philosophy in 1996. He later earned a master’s degree in athletic administration in 1998. While an undergraduate at Ohio, Eckert worked as the varsity assistant and head coach for the junior high boys’ basketball teams at Federal Hocking High School, leading both teams to victory in the Tri-Valley Conference title during his tenure.
