Joe Legerski Position: Head Coach Experience: 6th yr College: Wyoming '79

Joe Legerski enters his sixth season as the head women's basketball coach at the University of Wyoming. He was named head coach on May 1, 2003 and became the sixth head coach in Cowgirl history, after having coached at Utah for 12 seasons.

In 2007-08, the Cowgirls continued where they left off from the previous season as further marks where broken. They started off with an 18-1 record, which was the best start in school history, and tied for the best in the MWC as well. With 24 wins, they recorded their third straight 20-win season, which had never been done in the programs' history, and with a 12-4 mark in conference play it also was the most conference wins breaking the 11 wins set the year before. Their play helped them earn the Cowgirl programs' first ever bid to the NCAA Tournament. Wyoming was also honored with several individual awards. Hanna Zavecz was named First Team All-Mountain West Conference for the third straight year, while being named the MWC Defensive Player of the Year, and Justyna Podziemska earned Second Team All-MWC honors for the second straight year.

He recorded his first career coaching victory on Dec. 13, 2003, as Wyoming defeated Montana State Billings, 62-51. His first conference win came on Jan. 17, 2004 against MWC rival BYU.

In his first season, he guided the Cowgirls to an 11-18 record overall and a 6-8 mark in the Mountain West Conference including their first ever Mountain West Conference Tournament victory in school history. Two Cowgirls also garnered All-Conference awards as he earned MWC Coach of the Year honors in his first year with the program.

In 2004-05, he helped the Cowgirls to a 16-12 overall mark, along with a 7-7 record and a fourth place finish in the MWC. It was the best finish for a Cowgirl team since the 2002-03 season, and the highest they'd finished in conference play since 1996-97. They swept BYU for the first time since 1994-95 and earned a 72-67 win over the Colorado Buffaloes which snapped a 13-game losing streak. Three Cowgirls earned All-MWC awards including Ashley Elliott who earned First Team All-MWC honors for the second year in a row.

During the 2005-06 season, the Cowgirls completed the year 21-9 overall, while finishing 10-6 overall in the Mountain West Conference. They made an appearance in the WNIT for only the third time in school history. The 21-wins were at the time the most since the 1989-90 season when they went 24-8 and the ten conference victories at the time tied an all-time school record which was set in 1978-79. Three Cowgirls garnered All-Conference honors, including Hanna Zavecz who earned First Team All-MWC and Defensive Player of the Year honors along with Megan McGuffey who took home the Newcomer of the Year.

During the 2006-07 campaign, it was a magical year for Legerski and the Cowgirls as they won the WNIT Postseason Championship over the Wisconsin Badgers. Wyoming went 6-0 enroute to the championship. They completed the season with a program best 27-9 record, which eclipsed the 24-8 mark set in 1989-90, and the 11-5 record and second place finish in the league standings were the second most wins in both MWC and school history. It was the also the first time in school history that a Cowgirl team had won at least 20 games in back-to-back seasons, along with being invited to post season play. For the second year in a row, Hanna Zavecz was named First Team All-MWC and Justyna Podziemska was named MWC Newcomer of the Year along with earning Second Team All-MWC honors.

Legerski, 50, came to Wyoming following a highly-successful stint at the University of Utah. As an assistant (1991-1998), and later associate head coach (1998-2003) for Elaine Elliott, he was part of the most successful women's program in the history of both the Western Athletic and Mountain West Conferences. The Utes compiled a 254-96 record while he was there, including seven league titles. They were 135-35 in conference play.

During the 2002-03 season, Utah won the MWC with a 12-2 conference mark. The Utes were 24-7 overall, and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament, before falling to Duke.

Legerski earned a bachelor of science degree in business education from UW in 1979. He was an assistant with the Cowgirls from 1987 through 1991, before taking the Utah position. He was the head women's basketball coach at Western Wyoming College (Rock Springs) for one season, finishing second in the region. Prior to that, he was the head women's basketball coach at Rock Springs High from 1984 to 1986.

"This University has always held a special place in my life, and to have an opportunity to come back is a chance most do not receive," Legerski said. "The commitment to this program is at the highest level. After visiting with several individuals, and seeing the facilities, I have a great sense of how much support there is for the program.

"Today is a new start for all of us, and I look forward to rolling up my sleeves and going to work."

During his second season at Utah, in 1992, Legerski coached the best post duo in the league in Mikki Kane-Barton and Susana Tauteoli. Kane-Barton was named the 1993 WAC Most Valuable Player, and MVP of the Western Athletic Conference tournament. He also helped develop Amber McEwen into a two-time First Team All-Conference selection, and the 1996 WAC Player of the Year.

Legerski, and his wife, Jamie, are parents of three children, stepson Zane, 21, daughter Madison, 13, and son Joseph III, 11.