Minner, Owen Join WBB Coaching Staff
6/1/2019 4:44:00 PM | Women's Basketball
DENTON – Head coach Jalie Mitchell added two assistants to the North Texas women's basketball coaching staff in Christopher Minner and Roman Owen.
"I am ecstatic about the addition of Chris Minner and Roman Owen," said Mitchell. "They are both very bright, well respected and highly successful coaches in our profession who add a great deal to our staff and will help us continue to improve on and off the court. They are two of the most genuine, passionate and competitive leaders who have always been extremely invested in helping young women achieve."
Minner comes to the Mean Green following a decade of success at Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio. Throughout his tenure as the women's basketball head coach, Minner compiled an overall record of 189-45 and 121-11 in the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC). Last season, the Saints made OLLU history by making it to the semifinals of the NAIA National Championship for the best finish ever by an athletic team at OLLU. They captured the regular season and tournament titles and concluded the season ranked 12thin the nation.
"Coach Minner has an impeccable resumé, both as a head coach and an assistant coach. We are very fortunate to add a recent National Coach of the Year whose teams have been national contenders every single year he has been a part of the program. Chris brings a wealth of knowledge and experience, along with a strong work ethic, reputation and will to win. He has cared immensely for his players and done an excellent job building the program at Our Lady of the Lake. I have no doubt that he is devoted to ensuring the optimum results are achieved here at UNT year after year."
Minner served as the assistant coach of the inaugural women's basketball team at OLLU for three seasons before becoming the head coach. Minner came to OLLU from NCAA's Division II Texas A&M International University (TAMIU) where he served for one year as the women's assistant basketball coach. Minner primarily managed TAMIU's defense and worked with the team on shooting and scoring to guide the team to a six-game improvement in the league. TAMIU was ranked fourth in the nation in steals and No. 11 in assist-to-turnover ratio and was first in scoring offense, steals, forced turnovers and blocks in the conference.
Before TAMIU, Minner was the boys' varsity head basketball coach at Vacaville Christian High School in California. He directed the Falcons to a 62-24 overall record, winning a Sacramento Valley Christian (SVCL) and a Central Valley Christian League title and was named SVCL Coach of the Year in 2006. From 2002-2005, Minner was the head women's basketball coach for Napa Valley Community College where he was the all-time winningest coach in percentage and number of wins. Throughout his career, Minner has also coached golf, baseball and cross-country. Minner received a Bachelor of Arts in English from Sonoma State University and a master's degree in health, physical education and recreation from St. Mary's College of California. In May 2013, Minner earned an MBA from OLLU.
"I am very excited to be a part of the Mean Green," Minner said. "I look forward to helping continue the positive momentum that Coach Mitchell, Coach Knox and Coach Foreman have established in the last few seasons. I am so thankful for the belief and confidence that Coach Mitchell has in me by bringing me on board. I am excited to be a part of this program and can't wait to get started."
Owen moves to Denton after spending the 2018-19 season as an assistant women's basketball coach at Tulsa where the Golden Hurricane advanced to the quarterfinals in the American Athletic Conference tournament.
"Coach Owen has also had experience as a head coach and brings with him so much excitement and dedication to becoming one of the best in our game," Mitchell said. "He is a basketball fanatic who is loyal and operates with a high degree of integrity in all things. Roman is a lover of God and family whose infectious energy spreads as soon as he walks in any room. He has all of the intangibles that are conducive to establishing and maintaining a winning culture. I have always admired his dynamic personality from afar. The ability to keep him and his beautiful family close to home is icing on the cake."
Owen served as an assistant coach for three seasons at Yale University from 2015-18. At Yale, Owen's responsibilities included recruiting, coaching the point guards and wings, scouting reports, film breakdown, scheduling and overseeing team travel.
During the 2017-18 season, the Bulldogs captured the 2018 WBI Championship, won a program-high 19 games and advanced to the Ivy League Tournament for the first time in school history. He was also instrumental in coaching Yale to 14 wins in 2015-16 and 15 victories a year later.
Before Yale, Owen served as the video coordinator under Hall of Fame Coach Sherri Coale at Oklahoma from 2013-15.
Owen was the women's basketball head coach at Mid-America Christian University from 2010-13 where he oversaw all aspects of the program, including practices, scouting, film exchange, academic success, player development, strength and conditioning, and budget. In his three years at MACU, he coached the team to 41 wins, including an NCCAA Regional Championship and consolation championship in the NCCAA National Tournament in 2011.
Owen was an assistant coach for the men's basketball team at Oklahoma City University from 2008-10 and led the Stars to 32 wins in two years and a 2010 NAIA National Tournament appearance.
A four-year letterwinner at Southwestern Christian University, Owen concluded his career with a program-high 2,802 points, was named the 2008 Pete Maravich NCCAA Player of the Year, was a three-time NCCAA All-American and led the team to back-to-back NCCAA National Championship games.
Owen earned his bachelor's degree in Biblical studies from Southwestern Christian in 2007 and his master's degree in education from the University of Central Oklahoma in 2009.
"I'm extremely grateful for this incredible opportunity to work alongside a proven winner in Coach Mitchell," Owen said. "The University of North Texas athletics department has something special going and my family is ready to be a part of that. I am looking forward to representing the women's basketball program and competing for championships. I'm excited for this new journey and can't wait to get started."
"Our Mean Green family got better today," Mitchell said. "This staff and team have what it takes to keep growing this program by leaps and bounds. We will remain persistent in our goal of building champions and preparing leaders with some of the best our profession has to offer."
"I am ecstatic about the addition of Chris Minner and Roman Owen," said Mitchell. "They are both very bright, well respected and highly successful coaches in our profession who add a great deal to our staff and will help us continue to improve on and off the court. They are two of the most genuine, passionate and competitive leaders who have always been extremely invested in helping young women achieve."
Minner comes to the Mean Green following a decade of success at Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio. Throughout his tenure as the women's basketball head coach, Minner compiled an overall record of 189-45 and 121-11 in the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC). Last season, the Saints made OLLU history by making it to the semifinals of the NAIA National Championship for the best finish ever by an athletic team at OLLU. They captured the regular season and tournament titles and concluded the season ranked 12thin the nation.
"Coach Minner has an impeccable resumé, both as a head coach and an assistant coach. We are very fortunate to add a recent National Coach of the Year whose teams have been national contenders every single year he has been a part of the program. Chris brings a wealth of knowledge and experience, along with a strong work ethic, reputation and will to win. He has cared immensely for his players and done an excellent job building the program at Our Lady of the Lake. I have no doubt that he is devoted to ensuring the optimum results are achieved here at UNT year after year."
Minner served as the assistant coach of the inaugural women's basketball team at OLLU for three seasons before becoming the head coach. Minner came to OLLU from NCAA's Division II Texas A&M International University (TAMIU) where he served for one year as the women's assistant basketball coach. Minner primarily managed TAMIU's defense and worked with the team on shooting and scoring to guide the team to a six-game improvement in the league. TAMIU was ranked fourth in the nation in steals and No. 11 in assist-to-turnover ratio and was first in scoring offense, steals, forced turnovers and blocks in the conference.
Before TAMIU, Minner was the boys' varsity head basketball coach at Vacaville Christian High School in California. He directed the Falcons to a 62-24 overall record, winning a Sacramento Valley Christian (SVCL) and a Central Valley Christian League title and was named SVCL Coach of the Year in 2006. From 2002-2005, Minner was the head women's basketball coach for Napa Valley Community College where he was the all-time winningest coach in percentage and number of wins. Throughout his career, Minner has also coached golf, baseball and cross-country. Minner received a Bachelor of Arts in English from Sonoma State University and a master's degree in health, physical education and recreation from St. Mary's College of California. In May 2013, Minner earned an MBA from OLLU.
"I am very excited to be a part of the Mean Green," Minner said. "I look forward to helping continue the positive momentum that Coach Mitchell, Coach Knox and Coach Foreman have established in the last few seasons. I am so thankful for the belief and confidence that Coach Mitchell has in me by bringing me on board. I am excited to be a part of this program and can't wait to get started."
Owen moves to Denton after spending the 2018-19 season as an assistant women's basketball coach at Tulsa where the Golden Hurricane advanced to the quarterfinals in the American Athletic Conference tournament.
"Coach Owen has also had experience as a head coach and brings with him so much excitement and dedication to becoming one of the best in our game," Mitchell said. "He is a basketball fanatic who is loyal and operates with a high degree of integrity in all things. Roman is a lover of God and family whose infectious energy spreads as soon as he walks in any room. He has all of the intangibles that are conducive to establishing and maintaining a winning culture. I have always admired his dynamic personality from afar. The ability to keep him and his beautiful family close to home is icing on the cake."
Owen served as an assistant coach for three seasons at Yale University from 2015-18. At Yale, Owen's responsibilities included recruiting, coaching the point guards and wings, scouting reports, film breakdown, scheduling and overseeing team travel.
During the 2017-18 season, the Bulldogs captured the 2018 WBI Championship, won a program-high 19 games and advanced to the Ivy League Tournament for the first time in school history. He was also instrumental in coaching Yale to 14 wins in 2015-16 and 15 victories a year later.
Before Yale, Owen served as the video coordinator under Hall of Fame Coach Sherri Coale at Oklahoma from 2013-15.
Owen was the women's basketball head coach at Mid-America Christian University from 2010-13 where he oversaw all aspects of the program, including practices, scouting, film exchange, academic success, player development, strength and conditioning, and budget. In his three years at MACU, he coached the team to 41 wins, including an NCCAA Regional Championship and consolation championship in the NCCAA National Tournament in 2011.
Owen was an assistant coach for the men's basketball team at Oklahoma City University from 2008-10 and led the Stars to 32 wins in two years and a 2010 NAIA National Tournament appearance.
A four-year letterwinner at Southwestern Christian University, Owen concluded his career with a program-high 2,802 points, was named the 2008 Pete Maravich NCCAA Player of the Year, was a three-time NCCAA All-American and led the team to back-to-back NCCAA National Championship games.
Owen earned his bachelor's degree in Biblical studies from Southwestern Christian in 2007 and his master's degree in education from the University of Central Oklahoma in 2009.
"I'm extremely grateful for this incredible opportunity to work alongside a proven winner in Coach Mitchell," Owen said. "The University of North Texas athletics department has something special going and my family is ready to be a part of that. I am looking forward to representing the women's basketball program and competing for championships. I'm excited for this new journey and can't wait to get started."
"Our Mean Green family got better today," Mitchell said. "This staff and team have what it takes to keep growing this program by leaps and bounds. We will remain persistent in our goal of building champions and preparing leaders with some of the best our profession has to offer."
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