March 28, 2012

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Champaign, Ill. - Director of Athletics Mike Thomas has announced the hiring of Matt Bollant as the new head women's basketball coach at the University of Illinois. Bollant comes to Illinois after a successful five-year stint at Green Bay where he guided the Phoenix to five straight Horizon League titles and four straight trips to the NCAA Tournament.

Bollant has guided Green Bay to a 148-19 record (.886 winning percentage) in the last five years, including an 85-5 mark in the Horizon League. The Phoenix were a combined 65-4 in the past two seasons, going 34-2 in 2010-11. Green Bay was ranked as high as No. 9 in the national polls each of the past two seasons, finishing the 2011 season with that ranking. Last year, Green Bay went 4-0 against the Big Ten Conference, defeating Minnesota, Wisconsin, Penn State and Michigan State. This season the Phoenix downed Illinois 82-62 at the San Juan Shootout and had triumphs over No. 25 Georgia Tech, a team that reached the Sweet 16, Marquette and Wisconsin.

"It's hard to find a coach in the country with a better reputation for winning than Matt Bollant," Thomas said. "He has a proven track record of tremendous success both at the conference and at the national level. He is truly one of the best and brightest young coaches in the women's game today and I consider it an honor to have him at the University of Illinois. I have no doubt that he has the experience and intangibles to duplicate that success in Champaign."

"The opportunity to coach in the Big Ten and at such a prestigious institution like the University of Illinois is very exciting for me," Bollant said. "I enjoyed my years at Green Bay and am proud of the success we had there. I couldn't ask for a better relationship with a group of people. Having said that, my family and I are at peace with this decision. Illinois is simply the right fit. The pieces are in place here to be competitive both in the Big Ten and nationally. It is an honor be the next coach at Illinois. I want to thank Athletic Director Mike Thomas for having the confidence in me to lead this program."

Green Bay has four wins over ranked opponents in the last four seasons, including a 65-56 victory over No. 12/13 Michigan State in the 2011 NCAA Second Round. The Phoenix entered the tournament as a No. 5 seed, defeating the No. 4 Spartans to reach the Sweet 16 for the first time school history. Green Bay also defeated No. 21 Virginia 69-67 in the first round of the 2010 tournament.

Green Bay lost to Iowa State in Ames by just four points (60-56) in the NCAA second round in 2010. This year, Green Bay returned to the site for NCAA first and second round play. Entering the tournament as the No. 7 seed, the Phoenix defeated the No. 10 seed Cyclones on the their home floor, 71-57, before seeing a comeback fall short against No. 2 seed Kentucky (65-62) in the second round.

Bollant was named the Horizon League Coach of the Year for the fourth time in 2012, guiding Green Bay to a 31-2 record despite losing Horizon League co-Players of the Year Kayla Tetschlag and Celeste Hoewisch. Senior Julie Wojta was a finalist for the Wade Trophy and earned WBCA Second Team All-America honors.

Bollant has an .837 winning percentage as a collegiate coach, including a 134-36 record at Bryan (Tenn.) College from the NAIA level. He guided the Lady Lions to four straight NAIA Tournaments, reaching the Sweet 16 in 2005-06. Bryan reached the top 25 rankings each of his last four years, reaching as high as No. 11 at the end of the 2006-07 season. Bollant coached four Appalachian Athletic Conference Players of the Year.

Bollant was as an assistant coach under Kathi Bennett, the daughter of former Wisconsin men's coach Dick Bennett, for five seasons before becoming a collegiate head coach. He served three years under Bennett at the University of Evansville, helping the Purple Aces to the 1999 NCAA Tournament, then followed her to Indiana, where the Hoosiers became the lowest seed (5) to win the Big Ten Tournament in 2002.

A 1994 graduate of Winona State University with a degree in business education, Bollant received a master's degree in education from American Intercontinental University. He served as both the varsity and junior varsity head coach of Depper Life Academy in the Philippines and spent three years as the head coach at Tigerton (Wis.) High School, guiding the Tigers to a 63-10 record and to three Central Wisconsin Conference Small School titles from 1994-97.

He and his wife, Kari, have two daughters, Abi and Regan.

What They're Saying
"Matt Bollant is a great hire for Illinois because of the regional connections he has in the Midwest. He's a coach that's similar to our associate head coach Vic Schaefer in getting a chance at his first BCS job. He'll do great in the Big Ten because his knowledge of the game is outstanding and he gets kids to play hard." - Gary Blair, Head Coach, 2011 National Champion Texas A&M Aggies

"I'm very happy for Matt. He's a first-class person. First and foremost, he's a very good guy. I have not coached against many tougher teams in my career than the Green Bay team we faced in the NCAA Tournament. Illinois made an excellent choice. I think he is a coach at the very top of our profession and I think he'll do a great job at Illinois." - Matthew Mitchell, Head Coach, 2012 Elite Eight Qualifier Kentucky Wildcats

"Matt is a great choice to lead the Illinois program. He will do a great job of building a program on and off the court that will make everyone associated with the University of Illinois proud." - Bill Fennelly, Head Coach, Iowa State Cyclones

THE BOLLANT FILE

Hired: March 28, 2012
Education: Winona State University, bachelors degree in business education (1994); American Intercontinental University, master's degree in education
Born: March 13, 1971

Coaching Experience
University of Illinois - Head Coach, 2012-
University of Wisconsin Green Bay - Head Coach, 2007-12
Bryan College (Div. II) - Head Coach, 2002-07
Indiana University - Assistant Coach, 2000-02
University of Evansville - Assistant Coach, 1997-2000
Tigerton High School - Head Coach, 1994-1997

Bollant Collegiate Head Coaching Record

* Appalachian Athletic Conference at Bryan, Horizon League at Green Bay

Bollant Coaching Honors