Kaserra Owens, who had served as the interim head coach of the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford women’s basketball team this season, has been named head coach.
Before leading the team in 2019-20, Owens was an assistant coach for the program in 2018-19 and also played four years for the Panthers.
“I love Pitt-Bradford,” Owens said. “It has given me so many opportunities in life. I’ve been able to meet mentors and friends, travel internationally, and have the chance to play and coach the game I love. Most importantly it is where I found my faith and grew into the person I am today.
“I am grateful for another opportunity from this university to continue to grow as well as provide my players with some of the same opportunities I have had in my time here. I thank President (Catherine) Koverola, (athletic director Bret) Butler and the search committee for allowing me to continue working at the institution that I love.”
Owens, a Bradford native and 2017 Pitt-Bradford graduate, was a four-year starter for the Panthers, playing 97 career games, in which she scored 900 points, grabbed 503 rebounds and dished out 197 assists. She was a part of 66 wins and reached the AMCC playoffs in all four years, making one appearance in the conference championship game.
“I am extremely pleased to have Kaserra join us as the permanent head coach,” said Butler, athletic director. “Kaserra is an up-and-coming basketball coach, and I am thrilled for our athletes and our department, the great community of Bradford, and our excellent university. I am excited about the future of our program under her leadership.”
Sean Brown, one of Owens’ former Pitt-Bradford coaches, said, “I am very proud of Kaserra and think she is a great hire. She is a very driven and hardworking young woman, and her ties to the university, the program and the local area will only help her and the program succeed.”
After a year away from the program, Owens returned to Pitt-Bradford as an assistant coach under then-coach Sharay Hall. Owens was named interim head coach after Hall left in the summer of 2019 to take an assistant coach position at Colgate University.
Butler noted that Owens was not only an outstanding player at Pitt-Bradford but also had a successful career at Bradford Area High School.
As a player at Bradford High, Owens was one of the leading scorers on the 2011-12 and 2012-13 Owls teams that went 45-4 over the two-year span, winning District 9 titles in each season. She finished her Bradford career with 1,020 points.
“Pitt-Bradford and this community have given me so much, I hope to use this position as a chance to give back to both,” Owens said.
