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CITY (VCSU) – Valley City State University athletic director Jack Denholm announced Tuesday that Jill DeVries has been named the next head women’s basketball coach at VCSU.
DeVries was previously the women’s basketball coach at VCSU for 14 years before stepping down last June. She replaces Cathy Hanek who resigned after one season.
“Jill has proven herself an effective coach and assistant athletic director during her 14 previous years at VCSU,” said Denholm. “We are excited to welcome her back to the Viking family. She brings a lot of energy and excitement to the program after qualifying for the national tournament her past three seasons. I’m excited to work with Jill again and excited for her to get started.”
During her previous stint at VCSU, DeVries posted a 219-230 career record on the court. The Vikings had winning records in each of her last five seasons and went 100-57 over that stretch. DeVries’ 2011 squad won the Dakota Athletic Conference tournament championship and earned the program’s first ever appearance at the NAIA National Tournament. Her 2012 and 2013 teams also made the national tournament, and the 2013 team posted a school-record 24 wins.
“There’s not a lot of places that can be competitive nationally in basketball, and VCSU is one of them,” said DeVries. “It’s a great opportunity to come back and I’m excited to get started. It was good to have a break, but the truth of the matter is I am a college basketball coach. It’s what I love; it’s my passion; and Valley City State is home. I appreciate the opportunity Jack Denholm and the administration have given me to come back to VCSU.”
While at VCSU, DeVries coached 18 All-Conference performers, four Honorable Mention All-Americans, and 27 NAIA Scholar-Athletes. DeVries took the 2013-14 season off from coaching, a move which she said rejuvenated her.
“It’s good to just re-energize your batteries and be excited about the job again,” she said. “When you have a chance to get away, you gain some perspective. You understand how special VCSU is. It’s important that student-athletes have small campus opportunities and environments like VCSU where they can excel on the court and in the classroom. That’s something you don’t always appreciate until you’re away.”
DeVries begins her job at VCSU immediately. Besides head coach, she will also work as assistant athletic director – a role she previously held at VCSU. DeVries is a graduate of North Dakota State University and was team captain on the 1990-91 Bison national championship team. She earned a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Physical Education from NDSU (1992) and a Master’s of Education from NDSU (1997).