From OCU Sports Info.
Rich Tortorelli, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
OKLAHOMA CITY – Bo Overton has been selected to be Oklahoma City University women’s basketball head coach.
Overton returns to his home state after spending the past few years coaching for teams abroad. During that time, he served as an assistant coach for the Chinese national team in the 2012 Olympics.
Overton’s last coaching stint in Oklahoma came during an ultra successful run as Sherri Coale’s assistant at the University of Oklahoma. During that time, the Sooners advanced to the 2002 NCAA championship game.
“We are thrilled to have a coach the caliber of Bo Overton to take over our women’s basketball program,” OCU athletic director Jim Abbott said. “Bo has excellent coaching experience, a commitment to the academic growth of our students and is a natural fit to lead our program.”
The Stars recently won their second consecutive national championship under Latricia Trammell, who left to become an assistant at NCAA Division I Georgia State. OCU went 30-2 this past season and 85-10 the last three years with three Sooner Athletic Conference regular-season championships and the 2015 SAC Tournament title under Trammell’s direction.
OCU owns eight national titles won in 1988, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2012, 2014 and 2015 as well as 16 SAC regular-season championships and 10 SAC Tournament crowns.
“I am very excited to be coming to such a great university like OCU,” Overton said. “Having grown up in Oklahoma, I am very familiar with the great tradition of all sports at OCU. I’m looking forward to meeting the players and getting started.”
From 1998-2004, Overton contributed to Oklahoma’s establishment as a dominant program. OU went 143-54 with five NCAA Tournament bids, three NCAA Sweet 16 appearances, the 2002 NCAA Final Four berth, a 1999 WNIT appearance, three Big 12 regular-season titles and two conference tournament crowns. The Sooners had five all-Americans and three Big 12 player of the year recipients during that time.
“Bo knows basketball,” Coale said. “He was an integral part of our 2002 run to the national championship game. Oklahoma is his home, and OCU is a natural fit.”
Overton has a wide array of coaching experience, establishing a reputation as a top talent evaluator and recruiter. Overton has head-coaching experience, leading Dynamo Kursk in Russia, Guangdong and Liaoning of the Women’s Chinese Basketball Association, the Chicago Sky of the WNBA in 2007 and Missouri-Kansas City from 2004-06. He also served as assistant for the Bahama national team.
Overton was head men’s basketball coach and athletic director at Murray State College in Tishomingo, Okla. Coaching men, Overton has been an assistant at Oral Roberts, Texas State and Louisiana Tech.
During his playing career, Overton became a 1983 draft pick of the Phoenix Suns after competing for Billy Tubbs and Dave Bliss at Oklahoma. Overton finished his OU career among the Sooners’ all-time assist leaders. He played and coached professionally for Pensacola of the Continental Basketball Association.
As a prep player in Ada, Okla., Overton became the 1979 Oklahoma high school player of the year as awarded by the Oklahoma Coaches Association, The Oklahoman and Tulsa World. He was also the Jim Thorpe Award winner presented to the top athlete in each sport at the Oklahoma state high school championships. A four-year letter winner, Overton earned McDonald’s all-American honors.