Ball State names Packard women's basketball coach

May 12, 2008 - 8:35 PM MUNCIE, Indiana (Ticker) -- Ball State named Kelly Packard its new women's basketball coach on Monday.

Packard becomes the 10th coach in school history for the Cardinals, who went 15-15 this past season. She replaces Tracy Poller, who resigned after seven seasons on April 4.

Despite the .500 record, Ball State did post an 11-5 mark in the Mid-American Conference, and will return three starters.

"I was looking for two things," Packard said. "I was looking for healthy leadership for myself. I want to continue to grow as a coach and as a leader, and I needed to feel like I had healthy leadership.

"The second piece was I had to have a community that I thought I could bring two young men in, continue to raise them, and the community would jump in and give them tremendous opportunity. So Muncie, Indiana, was the second piece of that."

Prior to her hiring, Packard served as the executive director for the Colorado Chill, which is attempting to gain an expansion spot in the WNBA. Prior to that, she served as the coach for the Chill for two seasons, starting in 2004, and went on to win consecutive NWBL championships.

Packard also has experience coaching in college, serving as an assistant at Colorado State for five seasons over two stints starting in 1991.

"Kelly has head coaching experience, Midwest ties and has been successful at both the collegiate and professional levels," Ball State athletic director Tom Collins said. "She has learned from some very successful college coaches in Tom Collen and Greg Williams and has been part of a nationally prominent program."