Joe Legerski

Joseph Julius Legerski (born July 24, 1957)[1] is the retired former head women's basketball coach at the University of Wyoming.

Joe Legerski
Legerski at the Event Center in 2016.
Biographical details
Born (1957-07-24) July 24, 1957
Rock Springs, Wyoming
Alma materUniversity of Wyoming
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1979–1984Rock Springs HS (boys' asst.)
1984–1986Rock Springs HS (girls')
1986–1987Western Wyoming CC
1987–1991Wyoming (asst.)
1991–1998Utah (asst.)
1998–2003Utah (assoc. HC)
2003–2019Wyoming
Head coaching record
Overall314–186 (.628)
TournamentsNCAA: 0–1
WNIT: 16–7
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
WNIT (2007)
Awards
3× MWC Coach of the Year (2004, 2017, 2018)

Coaching career

Legerski earned a Bachelor of Science degree in business education from the University of Wyoming in 1979. After graduating from Wyoming, Legerski became a boys' varsity basketball assistant coach at Rock Springs High School, a position he would hold for five seasons.[2] From 1984 to 1986, Legerski was the head women's basketball coach at Rock Springs High School. Following one season as head women's basketball coach at Western Wyoming Community College, Legerski was an assistant with the Wyoming Cowgirls basketball team from 1987 through 1991.[2]

From 1992 to 2003, Legerski was assistant coach at the University of Utah under Elaine Elliott; he was associate head coach from 1998 to 2003.[3] During his time as an assistant, Utah won three conference tournament championships between the Western Athletic Conference (1991 and 1995) and Mountain West Conference (2000).[4]

Named head coach at Wyoming on May 1, 2003, Legerski was the sixth head coach in team history and is the winningest coach in Wyoming history.[5] He led the Cowgirls to ten 20+ winning seasons, 8 appearances in the WNIT, and 1 appearance in the NCAA tournament.[3] He also led the Cowgirls to the only postseason tournament championship in program history, the 2007 WNIT.[6]

During the 2018–2019 season Legerski won his 300th career game as the head coach of the Cowgirls.[7] He was the first coach in program history to reach 300 career wins. He also took the team to their first ever Mountain West Tournament Championship appearance in the 2018–2019 season.[8]

He won 3 Mountain West Conference coach of the year awards, in the 2003–04, 2016–17, and 2017–18 seasons.[9]

On April 24, 2019, Legerski announced that he would not be returning for the next season, as he planned to retire from coaching after 16 years.[9]

Personal life

Legerski is married and has three children, including stepson Zane Beadles, a former NFL offensive guard.[3]

Head coaching record
Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Wyoming Cowgirls (Mountain West Conference) (2003–2019)
2003–04 Wyoming 11–186–85th
2004–05 Wyoming 16–127–74th
2005–06 Wyoming 21–910–65thWNIT Second Round
2006–07 Wyoming 27–911–5T–2ndWNIT Champions
2007–08 Wyoming 24–712–43rdNCAA first round
2008–09 Wyoming 16–148–8T–5th
2009–10 Wyoming 21–129–7T–5thWNIT Third Round
2010–11 Wyoming 24–912–43rdWNIT Third Round
2011–12 Wyoming 12–177–75th
2012–13 Wyoming 24–812–43rdWNIT First Round
2013–14 Wyoming 20–1110–85th
2014–15 Wyoming 16–1410–8T–5th
2015–16 Wyoming 13–166–12T–8th
2016–17 Wyoming 22–1013–52ndWNIT Second Round
2017–18 Wyoming 22–1113–53rdWNIT Second Round
2018–19 Wyoming 25–913–53rdWNIT Quarterfinals
Wyoming: 314–186 (.628)161–103 (.610)
Total:314–186 (.628)

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

References
  1. Arambel, Dave (1 September 2019). "Joe Legerski Enters RSHS Hall of Fame as Winningest Coach in UW History". SweetwaterNOW.com. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
  2. "Player Bio: Joe Legerski :: Women's Basketball". UtahUtes.com. University of Utah. Archived from the original on January 10, 2004. Retrieved February 14, 2016.
  3. "Joe Legerski - Women's Basketball Coach - University of Wyoming Athletics". GoWyo.com. University of Wyoming. Retrieved May 24, 2019.
  4. "Women's Basketball - University of Utah Athletics". UtahUtes.com. University of Utah. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
  5. Kiggins, Steve (May 1, 2003). "UW goes with Legerski as women's basketball coach". Casper Star Tribune. Retrieved June 1, 2016.
  6. "Wyoming's Legerski gets two-year extension". ESPN.com. Associated Press. 24 March 2006. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
  7. Settle, David (26 January 2019). "Cowgirls Hold Down Broncos, Give Legerski Win No. 300 [VIDEO] Read More: Cowgirls Hold Down Broncos, Give Legerski Win No. 300 [VIDEO]". kowb1290.com. Townsquare Media. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
  8. Potter, Davis (14 March 2019). "Despite loss, Wyoming eager to keep 'enjoying the ride' in postseason". Casper Star Tribune. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
  9. Potter, Davis (26 April 2019). "After four decades, it's 'the right time' to retire for Joe Legerski". Casper Star Tribune. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
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