Central names Briggs as assistant women’s basketball coach
Central College
PELLA — Former Truman State University (Mo.) standout Amy Briggs has joined the Central College women’s basketball staff as assistant coach.
Briggs spent the past two seasons as a graduate assistant coach at Missouri Valley College (Mo.) while earning a master’s degree at Northcentral University (Ariz.) and serving as head coach for the Vikings’ junior varsity squad. She was an NAIA National Tournament Committee member in 2015 and has extensive camp and youth coaching experience.
“I am thrilled to welcome coach Amy Briggs to the Central women’s basketball family,” said head coach Chelsea Petersen. “Amy understands the culture of our program, is enthusiastic about our vision, and understands how her strengths will contribute to our team success.”
A 2014 Truman State graduate, Briggs was a first-team Great Lakes Valley Conference pick and league all-tournament team selection in 2013-14. She helped her club earn a conference title and she set a school season record for most 3-pointers (80). Truman State was 42-17 in her two seasons there. She earlier attended Johnson County (Kan.) Community College for two years, gaining WBCA all-America distinction in 2011-12. Her squad made national tourney appearances both years, finishing fifth in 2010-11 and posting a 64-8 two-year mark.
In high school Briggs was a 2009-10 Class 5A second-team all-state pick by the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association and a first-team selection by the Topeka Capital Journal.
“Amy comes from programs that have a tradition of winning and high standards of excellence,” said Petersen, who is entering her fourth year as Dutch head coach after a season as an assistant. “She understands how to work hard, embrace a program vision, and embody a program’s values in her everyday actions”.
Briggs is a good fit with the Dutch, Petersen said.
“Amy will contribute to our program in a variety of ways,” she said. “She is an accomplished player with tournament experience and a long list of honors. She has a high basketball IQ and understands the overall vision guards must have on the court. And she loves the Central community and our firm commitment to academic excellence.”
Petersen’s program appears to be on the rise, as all five starters from a roster dominated by freshmen and sophomores last season.
