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| 2007
- 2008 Coaching Staff |
Head
Coach Steve Wiktorowski
Steve Wiktorowski begins his sixth season as head coach of the
Maple Leafs in 2007-2008, four years removed from leading his team
to the school’s first ever Mid-Central Conference Championship
and NAIA National Tournament berth in 2003-2004. After a trio of disappointing campaigns that produced a composite 23-70 record over the last three seasons, Wiktorowski said he is intent on returning his team to
the promised land.
“There’s no question that our goal is to return to
the top of our conference and compete at the national level again,” Wiktorowski
said. “We will be a young team this year, but we feel we’ve
got a core group of young players that have finally gained valuable college playing experience in a Goshen uniform. I think there is an overwhelming sense of optimisim here as we begin this year.”
A roster comprised primarily of underclassmen will lead the Leafs’ efforts
this season, as eight of Wiktorowski’s 11 players are freshmen
and sophomores. Despite its youth, Goshen returns the majority of its experienced players from last year. Wiktorowski said this season's team has a chance
to build on what has already been accomplished. With a slew of
talented recruits and a proven sophomore class returning, Wiktorowski
believes the foundation has been set for future success.
“How quickly we begin to see results this year depends largely
on how fast our younger players adjust to the college game,” Wiktorowski
said. “If we can stay healthy and understand concepts, we
should become more and more competitive as we gain experience.”
Wiktorowski speaks from experience, as the Waulkerton, Indiana
native led Goshen to a program best 26-9 overall record in that
magical 2003-2004 season, sharing the regular-season MCC crown
with Indiana Wesleyan University before winning it outright in
the conference tournament. After winning MCC Coach of the Year
honors, Wiktorowski’s team suffered a tough 70-72 defeat
to the College of the Ozarks in the first round of the national
tournament, concluding the incredible run.
It did not take long for Wiktorowski to put his own brand on the
Goshen College women’s basketball program, leading the team
to a 10-17 record in his first season (2002-2003) before producing
the most wins in school history in his second year.
Prior to arriving
at Goshen, Wiktorowski spent the previous 21 years of his professional
life coaching Indiana high school boys’ basketball, with
the last 14 years serving as the head coach at two area schools.
From 1995 to 2002 Wiktorowski was the head coach at Prairie Heights
High School in LaGrange, Indiana, while serving as the head coach
at Fairfield High School in the seven years prior to that. Before
becoming a head coach at the varsity level, Wiktorowski spent
seven years as an assistant coach at both Fairfield and Northridge
High School. During his 14-year career as a head high school coach,
he compiled an overall record of 123-176, and was 72-38 while
at Fairfield against Northeast Corner Conference opponents. His
teams also won three consecutive NECC tournament championships
and took the 1989 Goshen Holiday Tournament championship during
that stretch.
Wiktorowski graduated from Indianna University-Bloomington with
a degree in physical education in 1980. He acquired his master’s
degree in secondary education from Indiana University-Fort Wayne
in 1990. He lives with his wife, Donna, and their two children,
Troy (12) and Erin (nine) in Goshen.
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Assistant
Coach Jennifer Rupp
Jennifer Rupp begins her second season as an assistant coach at Goshen College in 2007-2008, and first in a full-time role. Rupp continues her coaching stint following a four-year playing career under current head coach Steve Wiktorowski.
Part of Wiktorowski’s first recruiting classes at Goshen, Rupp’s career was abbreviated due to an Anterior Cruciate Ligament tear in her right knee at the outset of her senior season, causing her to miss nearly half of the year. Rupp returned triumphantly to appear in 15 games as a senior, however, shooting 44.8 percent from the floor and averaging 2.4 points per game. Prior to her injury, Rupp was a staple of durability, playing in 93 of Goshen’s total 94 games in her freshman through junior seasons.
As the lead assistant coach, Rupp is primarily responsible for perimeter player development and general game-day bench responsibilities. Rupp also maintains a strong responsibility on the recruiting trail for Goshen, as well as serving as a communications link between the team and other coaches.
Rupp, a 2006 Goshen College graduate and Pettisville, Ohio native, currently works for the Mennonite Central Committee Great Lakes office in downtown Goshen. She is single and resides in Goshen.
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Assistant
Coach Barb Carbaugh
Barb Carbaugh begins her fifth season as an assistant coach at
Goshen College in 2007-2008, scaling back her duties for personal reasons. Carbaugh will serve as the program's second assistant coach after holding the lead role for the past five years.
Carbaugh offers a wealth of basketball history
and knowledge to the program, traits that helped Goshen record
its first-ever conference title and national tournament berth
in Carbaugh's first season on board. The former Maple Leaf
came to the program after serving as Goshen High School’s
girls’ head basketball coach for 16 years, compiling a win-loss
record of 217-198 during her tenure. Carbaugh led her team to
two sectional championships and five holiday tournament championships
over that span, and was named conference coach of the year once
and area coach of the year once.
In addition to her varsity coaching career, Carbaugh has also
worked as a coach at Notre Dame University’s “Blue
Chip” camp in addition to coordinating the summer league
youth programs for Goshen Community Schools.
Since joining the Goshen College program, Carbaugh has focused
primarily on guard play as well as recruiting, opponent scouting
and general bench instruction.
“Barb has helped our program immensely since joining our
staff,” said
Steve Wiktorowski, Goshen head coach. “She is well known
in both the local community and to many coaches throughout the
state. That has helped draw more attention to our program and
aide us in our recruiting efforts. She has brought a lot of knowledge
to our team and has been especially helpful in tutoring our guards.
She is very enthusiastic and has helped in ways that not many
coaches can.”
Carbaugh graduated from Goshen College and played basketball for
the Leafs for three seasons after transferring from Purdue University.
She then went back to West Lafayette to earn her master’s
degree in physical education. Carbaugh currently works at Goshen
High School in the physical education department. She is currently
single and resides in Goshen with her cat, Putter.
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