by madison.com sports , The Capital Times

No reason for her departure was cited.

"We would like to thank Coach Neils for her service to Edgewood College," athletic director Al Brisack said in a statement. "She continued the tradition of successful women's basketball teams at Edgewood College and we wish her the best of luck on the next step in her career path."

The Eagles made history as a team last season by posting the best winning percentage in school history (.731), winning 19 of their final 22 games to finish 19-7. And they crowned a new all-time scoring leader in Megan Scheele, who broke Deb (Boomsma) Cupery's 18-year-old mark and concluded her All-American career with 2,120 points.

Neils led Edgewood to within a victory of an NCAA tournament bid in 2008, but the Eagles lost to Wisconsin Lutheran on the road in the NAC championship game.

She stands third all-time in career coaching victories at Edgewood, behind Rick Olson (66 wins, 1994-99) and Jim Krystofiak (52 wins, 1990-94).

A Edgewood High School and University of Wisconsin graduate, Neils arrived at Edgewood in June 2006 as the Eagles were preparing to move to the NAC from the Lake Michigan Conference. She succeeded Bobbi Endress, who left to take the job at Augustana (Ill.) College.

Neils -- the daughter of Hall of Fame boys prep basketball coach Pete Olson -- prepared herself for the Edgewood job with a five-year stint at Green Bay Preble, where she led the Lady Hornets to a WIAA Division 1 state tournament and snapped a 12-year conference title drought, then spent the 2005-06 season as a graduate assistant at Lakeland College, which won the LMC regular-season and tournament titles.

Edgewood College has already begun its search for a new coach. The position is listed at www.edgewood.edu/employment and applications are currently being accepted.

The Edgewood College girls basketball camps and the girls high school basketball leagues will proceed as scheduled, the school announced.

madison.com - 6/17/2009 1:42 pm

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