Monday, March 18, 2013

NAMPA, Idaho – NNU women's basketball coach Kelli Lindley has accepted the position of associate athletic director at Northwest Nazarene University.

Lindley will transition into the position, made available by the approaching retirement of Barb Robertson in June, over the next three months and has resigned as the head women's basketball coach.

“Kelli has experienced basketball success on the court as a Division I player at WSU (Washington State University) and on the bench as an effective and winning D.II head coach,” said Northwest Nazarene athletic director Bill Rapp.

“This is a perfect career transition for Kelli as she will step up to fill the vacancy left by associate AD Barb Robertson. Barb did an outstanding job here at NNU and Kelli’s promotion will make this a seamless conversion in our athletic department.”

Lindley’s role as associate athletic director will include the oversight of NCAA compliance, serving as the Senior Women’s Administrator and other managerial areas.

During her 12 years as head women’s basketball coach for the Crusaders, Lindley amassed a career coaching record of 202-131 (.608) overall and led her teams to post-season appearances eight times, including NCAA Division II national tournament bids in 2003, 2006, 2008, 2009 and 2013.

“I am excited to redirect my passion for NNU and our student-athletes from the sidelines into my new role. I look forward to working with Bill Rapp and President David Alexander as we lead NNU athletics into the future,” Lindley commented.

“I have truly enjoyed leading the women’s basketball program over the past 12 years,” Lindley added. “I am indebted and thankful to (past NNU) President Rich Hagood for giving me the opportunity at such a young age and I value the mentorship that both (past AD) Rich Sanders and Barb Robertson have provided to me over many years. I feel that I have been well prepared by Godly people to accept this next challenge.”

Earning the first-ever NCAA Division II post-season invitation for any NNU program in 2003, her Crusaders upset third-seeded Western Washington in the first round of the 2003 West Regional before eventually falling to regional champion Cal State Bakersfield.

This season Lindley led the Crusaders to the highest NCAA Division II national ranking in school history as her squad was ranked 22nd in the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Week 12 poll. Her Crusaders earned a fifth trip to the NCAA Division II West Regional and were the seventh-seed in last week’s action.

Coach Lindley’s players have earned GNAC all-conference honors 26 times and her program has received 23 GNAC All-Academic selections. Lindley developed three GNAC Freshman of the Year honorees and one Daktronics/CoSIDA West Region All-Star. Twenty-three times her players earned GNAC Player of the Week honors.