From 1999-2001, Marsha Frese and Tracy Roller spent two years with the Ball State women's basketball team as assistant coaches under Marsha's sister, Brenda Frese.
After seven years, the duo's paths have crossed again. Roller, now the Cardinals head coach, announced Thursday that Marsha will be joining the program again as an assistant coach.
"We've remained great friends since our time here at Ball State," Roller said. "I'd almost say we talk weekly if not daily, just about things like basketball and recruiting."
Marsha, who was a guard at Rice University and still holds the single-season record for 3-point percentage, began her coaching career with the Cardinals in 1999. After leaving Ball State in 2001, Marsha coached under her sister at the University of Minnesota for a year. The sisters then moved to the University of Maryland, where Brenda won a NCAA National Championship in 2006.
However, Marsha left Maryland in 2003 and has spent the past four years at the University of Illinois.
Though her career has taken her around the country, Marsha said Roller has been someone who has been beneficial in her career away from Ball State.
"Our friendship started when we were coaching here," Marsha said. "I was a little wet behind my ears and was working with my sister. I know Tracy showed amazing patience through the course of all that."
While Roller was thrilled to have the opportunity to work with a good friend, Marsha said that was also one of the major things that attracted her to the program.
"The big thing in this profession is that you want to work with people that you really respect," Marsha said. "Tracy and I go way back, and it's a great opportunity for us to work together again."
During her first two years at Ball State, Marsha began building a solid reputation as a top recruiter. Marsha was instrumental in getting a commitment from Johna Goff, who is the third leading scorer in Ball State women's history with 1,635 points. Marsha also recruited Kate Endress, who played in the WNBA.
"Marsha has been a great recruiter for a long time," Roller said. "It's not like she's coming from [another region of the country] and has to build new experiences. She's from the midwest and knows this region very well."
Marsha said the key to her recruiting success is building personal relationships with players. Though Marsha is new to the program, Cardinals junior guard Kiley Jarrett said she's been impressed with her new coach.
"I don't know her real well yet, but she seems to want to get to know us [personally]," Jarrett said. "She's really taken the initiative and that helps a lot because it makes the players open up to her. Anytime a new coach comes, you're kind of timid at first because they don't know you as a player and you don't know them as a coach. So to have her come in and immediately get to know us is a big deal."
The Cardinals return all but three players from a team that finished last season with a 24-7 record, the highest winning percentage in the program's 34-year history. Marsha, who said she has been observing the Cardinals' success from afar, said she shares the same high standards.
"I have high standards for myself," Marsha said. "I want to come here and continue to build on a championship mentality."
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