Rademacher Returns To UDM As Women's Basketball Head Coach

March 25, 2008

A former Detroit star came home today with UDM athletic director Keri Gaither's announcement of the hiring of Autumn Rademacher as the new Titans women's basketball head coach.

Rademacher is the third-leading scorer in Titans history with 1,686 career points. She returns to UDM after four years on the staff at UW-Green Bay, which won four Horizon League regular-season championships and two post-season titles (2005 and 2007) during her tenure on the coaching staff. Before joining the Phoenix, Rademacher spent seven years as an assistant coach at Western Michigan.

"We're really excited to have Autumn back on the UDM campus," Gaither said. "She has a great working knowledge of Titan basketball and the Horizon League, and I think she'll do a terrific job as our head coach. We had a solid pool of candidates to look at, and (senior associate athletic director) Daron Montgomery did an excellent job heading up the search process. I have great confidence in Autumn's ability to turn our women's basketball program back around."

Rademacher feels it's quite special to coach at a school she once represented as a player.

"I am thrilled to be named the new head women's basketball coach at the University of Detroit Mercy. I want to thank the administration for believing that I am the right person to lead this program and for giving me the opportunity of a lifetime to coach at my alma mater," Rademacher stated. "After walking into Calihan Hall last week, seeing all the familiar faces and receiving such a warm welcome, I knew instantly, there really is no place like home."

During her tenure at Green Bay, the Phoenix compiled a sparkling 104-22 record, dominating the Horizon League in the process while making a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances.

Rademacher helped Western Michigan to a 108-100 mark during her seven years with the Broncos. They squad advanced to post-season play four times during her stint there, including a berth in the 2003 NCAA Tournament following its Mid-American Conference tournament title.

Rademacher played for the Titans from 1993-97. She earned first-team All-Conference honors in 1996 and again in 1997, and was a second-team and All-Newcomer Team honoree as a freshman in 1994. She currently ranks in the Top 10 in multiple statistical categories after four seasons as a starter at UDM, including career assists (third, 439) and career three-point field goals (second, 201). She led the Titans to a Horizon League post-season championship, and a berth in the NCAA Tournament, as a 1997 senior.

A native of Traverse City and a third-team All-State selection at Traverse City High School, Rademacher graduated from UDM in 1997 with a degree in criminal justice.

--Story provided by the Detroit office of sports information