UAA has made a quick fill of its women's basketball coaching vacancy, hiring Northwest Nazarene assistant coach Ryan McCarthy to take over the program. McCarthy replaces Nathan Altenhofen, who resigned last Friday before even conducting a practice while under investigation for professional misconduct.
McCarthy has served in a variety of coaching roles at Northwest Nazarene over the last five years. In the 2010-11 season, he filled in while head coach Kelli Lindley took a leave of absence, leading the Crusaders to a 14 and 13 overall record. McCarthy also served as associate head coach last season as Northwest Nazarene finished 18 and 10.
McCarthy has been familiar with the Great Northwest Athletic Conference since his playing days as well. He tallied 1,161 career points at Northwest Nazarene from 2002 to 2006 and is the GNAC's single season leader in three pointers made, sinking 102 during the 2005-06 season.
McCarthy takes over a UAA program that has won the NCAA Division II West Region championship three times in the last six seasons. However, the current team has a lot of roster holes to fill. Four players, including 2012 GNAC Newcomer of the Year Haley Holmstead and Freshman of the Year Gritt Ryder, left the team during the offseason. The current Seawolf roster has only nine players listed and only one forward, Alysa Horn of Kodiak, Alaska.
