JAMIE CRAIGHEAD NAMED HEAD WOMEN’S BASKETBALL COACH

5/1/2009

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Sacramento State Director of Athletics Terry Wanless announced today that women’s basketball associate head coach Jamie Craighead has been promoted to head coach on an interim basis.

Craighead, who will begin her third season with the program this fall, replaces Dan Muscatell, who left after six seasons to take an assistant coaching job at the University of Oregon.

“I feel Jamie is well prepared to continue the progress that the women’s basketball program has shown,” Wanless said. “She’s worked under three head coaches and has been mentored very well. We’re excited to give her this opportunity.”

Craighead spent the 2007-08 season as the team’s top assistant, before being promoted to associate head coach by Muscatell in the summer of 2008. Coordinating the Hornets’ offense and working with the team’s perimeter players, Craighead helped lead the team to a 7-9 Big Sky Conference record in 2008-09, the best mark in program history.

“I am honored the University is giving me this opportunity to continue to work with the program in a new capacity,” Craighead said. “I will work hard to build on the foundation that coach Muscatell laid during his time with the program.”

Prior to her time in the Green and Gold, Craighead spent two years as an assistant at Portland State, where she served as the Vikings’ recruiting coordinator and also worked with the post players. Prior to working at Portland State, Craighead was an assistant at Div. II powerhouse Seattle Pacific under the guidance of two-time NCAA Division II Coach of the Year Gordy Presnell.

“I was brought here two years ago to help continue to change the basketball culture at Sacramento State, and feel we have the student-athletes and recruits in place to do just that,” Craighead said.

Craighead played collegiately at Oregon, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in educational studies in 2002. She finished her career second on the school’s career list for three-point field goals with 182, and ranked seventh in three-point field goal percentage at 36.9 percent. She led her team to three NCAA Tournament appearances and the 2002 WNIT Title.