Stephanie Glance has been hired as the sixth head women’s basketball coach in Illinois State history. Glance, who has 22 years of collegiate coaching experience, was introduced to the media and fans by Illinois State Director of Athletics Dr. Sheahon Zenger at a press conference in the Kaufman Football Building Tuesday afternoon.
Glance brings a tremendous pedigree into her first head coaching job, as the only coach to work with Hall of Fame women’s basketball mentors Pat Summitt and the late Kay Yow.
“The hiring of Coach Glance once again shows that Illinois State University is able to attract the best and the brightest in the coaching profession,” Zenger said. “Her coaching pedigree and coaching experience are second to none. Stephanie’s career path resembles that of Tim Jankovich, Brock Spack, Mark Kingston and Robin Pingeton, and her personality and value system make her a tremendous fit for the Illinois State coaching team. It is with great pride that we are able to hire Stephanie Glance, the only coach in the nation to have worked with both Kay Yow and Pat Summitt.”
With nearly a quarter century of coaching experience, Glance is a true student of the game and knows about the rich tradition of Illinois State women’s basketball.
“I am thrilled to be a part of the Redbird Family! I have such great respect for the outstanding tradition of the women’s basketball program,” Glance said. “I look forward to continuing that success and reaching for even higher levels.”
Glance worked with Summitt at Tennessee this past season. She was hired as an assistant to the head coach and was appointed to assistant coach in December. She also served as the Lady Vols’ recruiting coordinator. Tennessee went 32-3 last season, won the SEC regular-season and tournament championships and advanced to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament.
Prior to joining the Tennessee staff, Glance served 15 years as the associate head coach and recruiting coordinator at North Carolina State. She helped guide the Wolfpack to record of 285-178 and 11 NCAA Tournament appearances, reaching the Sweet 16 four times and the 1998 Final Four.
Glance developed a very close relationship while working with Yow, and served as the interim head coach during parts of the 2006-07 and 2008-09 seasons, while the coach battled breast cancer. Glance oversaw all aspects of the Wolfpack program, including player development, gameplan and practice planning, academic development, scheduling, community service and fundraising.
During her time at North Carolina State, Glance was instrumental in the development of 27 All-ACC selections, the 1995 and 1997 ACC Rookies of the Year and the 1999 ACC Player of the Year. Ten players Glance coached at N.C. State went on to play professionally, including eight that were drafted in either the WNBA or ABL.
As recruiting coordinator, Glance was responsible for all aspects of the N.C. State recruiting efforts. She put together 14 recruiting classes that ranked in the top-30 in the nation, including four in the top-10. She recruited three junior college All-Americans and one JUCO National Player of the Year.
Glance started her coaching career as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at South Florida from 1988-93 and served as an assistant coach at Southwest Texas State during the 1993-94 season.
Glance served on the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Board of Directors as the Elected Representative for all Division I Assistant Coaches from 2003-09. In that position, she was responsible for several events and meetings at the Women’s Final Four National Convention. She also worked on the WBCA Recruiting and Access Committee in 2004, which revised and recommended new legislation and reform for women’s basketball for the NCAA. In 2009, she was named the President of the Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Foundation Board of Directors.
Glance played collegiately at Rollins College in Winter Park, Fla., earning a bachelor of arts degree in English and education in 1985.
