Kurt Westendorp Hired By FSU Women's Hoops

Big Rapids, Mich. - The Ferris State University women's basketball program has filled its vacant full-time assistant coaching position with the appointment of Kurt Westendorp.  The announcement was made today (July 20) by FSU head coach Tracey Dorow.

Westendorp, who spent the past three seasons as the assistant coach at NCAA Division III Albion, fills the role previously held last season by Mark DeNoyelles.  He will assist with all aspects of the program including administrative, recruiting and on-floor coaching tasks.

"Words can't begin to express how excited I am that Coach Westendorp has chosen to become a Bulldog," Dorow said.  "His background, knowledge and passion for the game is exceptional.  He also has strong connections with coaches across the state of Michigan and his enthusiasm will attract student-athletes to Ferris State University.  

"He works hard to develop and refine player skills and will do whatever it takes to maximize the potential of our women's basketball players," she added.

A native of Dowagiac, Westendorp helped Albion post a 48-31 overall record the past three years under head coach Doreen Carden. The Britons went 22-5 and reached the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) Tournament Championship Game his initial season in 2007-08 before posting 15-11 and 11-15 records in 2008-09 and 2009-10, respectively.

"I'm excited to get started at Ferris," Westendorp said.  "I've known Coach Dorow for some time and am familiar with the girls on the team from recruiting within the state the last three years.

"I know there's a lot of talent there and I'm looking forward to the opportunity to work with them," he added.

Along with his duties as the assistant women's basketball coach at Albion, Westendorp also served as the program's head women's golf coach and directed the squad to a fourth-place MIAA finish in 2008-09.  He was the school's basketball camp coordinator and also served as the women's basketball program's head junior varsity coach.

Prior to his stint at Albion, Westendorp directed the varsity girls basketball program at New Buffalo (Mich.) High School, where he helped the program grow from 12 student-athletes in 2005 to 30 for the 2007-2008 school year. The Bison also improved on the court under Westendorp by winning nine games, including a 5-3 record in the Red Arrow Conference, in 2006.

Westendorp also served as the coach of New Buffalo's junior high boys squad from 2005-07 where his teams combined to go 19-4 along with a 14-2 record in league play.  He was the head coach of the Southwest Michigan Storm AAU Basketball Club in 2006-07 and coached six elite players who went on to play college basketball.

"Coach Westendorp genuinely cares about the kids in our program, he sees the talent they possess and he will help me push them to elevate their level of play," said Dorow.  "I am thrilled to have him on staff and believe that with coaches like both himself and assistant coach Rachel Folcik (former FSU All-American), we have high aspirations to return to the NCAA tournament."  

He got his first taste for coaching at the collegiate level as a student manager with the Valparaiso University men's and women's basketball programs from 2001-05. Westendorp assisted the coaching staff in office work, video recording and film breakdown, recruiting visits, individual workouts, practice management, game management, equipment management and travel.

In Westendorp's time with Valparaiso's NCAA Division I program, the Crusaders combined for three Mid-Continent Conference regular season championships and two Mid-Continent Conference tournament championships while advancing to the NCAA Tournament in 2002 and 2004.  They also played in the NIT in 2003.  He administered summer workouts for the men's team in 2002 under then head coach Scott Drew.

Besides his collegiate and prep coaching experience, Westendorp has also served as a camp coach at numerous locations over the years including Michigan State, Notre Dame, Valparaiso and Stanford along with camps ran by Athletes In Action, the Michigan All-State Camp and the Dick Baumgartner Shooting Camp.

Westendorp, who holds bachelor's and master's degrees from Valparaiso, was a four-year member of the golf and basketball teams during his prep career at Dowagiac Union High School. He played on the prep level for his father, Allen, who's the current head coach of the girls basketball program at Berrien Springs High School.

The FSU women's basketball squad is tentatively slated to tip off the 2010-11 campaign by hosting a pair of games versus Edinboro (Pa.) and Gannon (Pa.) on Nov. 20-21 at Jim Wink Arena.