June 8, 2010

Haave Named Metro State Women's Basketball Head Coach

Courtesy Andy Schlichting, Metro State Sports Information Director

DENVER - Metro State athletic director Joan McDermott announced on Tuesday that Tanya Haave will become the new head coach for the Metro State women’s basketball team. Haave replaces Linda Lappe, who resigned in April to accept the head coaching position at the University of Colorado. Haave has spent the past four seasons as the head coach at the University of San Francisco. She will be the seventh coach in Metro State women’s basketball history.

“I am extremely pleased to announce Tanya as our new women’s basketball coach,” McDermott said. “I know she will be an excellent Division II coach and will continue to build where Linda left off. Tanya has excellent ties in the Denver area and is a local legend. It’s exciting to have someone with her great background guide our program. I believe she is the perfect fit to lead Metro State women’s basketball”

Prior to her four years at USF, Haave coached in the Denver area for seven seasons. She spent her first two years of coaching at Regis University as an assistant from 1999-2001, helping the Rangers to three winning seasons. From there, she coached four years as an assistant at the University of Colorado under legendary head coach Ceal Barry, helping the Buffaloes to three straight NCAA Tournament appearances, including an Elite Eight appearance in 2002, followed the a Sweet 16 showing in 2003. Haave then coached one year at the University of Denver in 2005-06 as the Pioneers finished second in their division during her one season at DU.

Before pursuing her coaching career, Haave played professionally in Europe and Australia for 14 years. She earned 10 all-star selections and also coached one year in Sweden. In her collegiate days, Haave played at the University of Tennessee for Hall of Fame coach Pat Summitt, starting for three years for the Lady Vols and compiling All-America and All-SEC honors in helping her team to three Final Four appearances. She also played two years of volleyball at Tennessee and earned her bachelor’s degree from there in 1985 in journalism. Haave was inducted into the University of Tennessee Lady Vol Hall of Fame in 2005.

Haave is a native of Evergreen, Colo., and finished her prep career at Evergreen High School as one of the most decorated high school athletes in state history. She became the first woman in Colorado history to earn the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame High School Athlete of the Year award and was also the 1980 Sportswoman of the Year by the Sportswomen of Colorado. In 2004, she was inducted into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame.

“I’m very grateful for the opportunity to coach at Metro State,” Haave said. “I want to thank Joan. She obviously has proven to be an excellent leader. The success of the athletic department made this opportunity very attractive.

“I’m extremely excited after talking with the players and meeting them. I’m chomping at the bit to get started. We obviously hope to compete for NCAA berths and RMAC championships. It’s certainly a big challenge. I know from my time at Regis that there are some great coaches in the RMAC and I have great respect for the conference.”

Metro State finished the 2009-10 season with a record of 17-12, including 11-8 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. The Roadrunners reached the RMAC Shootout semifinals, where they were eliminated by national runner-up Fort Lewis.