Heather Oesterle

Heather Oesterle
Current position
TitleAssistant coach
TeamStanford
ConferenceACC
Biographical details
Born (1979-10-12) October 12, 1979 (age 45)
Mason, Michigan
Playing career
1998–2002Michigan
Position(s)Forward/Guard
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
2002–2003Stanford (asst.)
2003–2008Miami (OH) (asst.)
2008–2010Northern Illinois (asst.)
2010–2012Central Michigan (asst.)
2012–2019Central Michigan (AHC)
2019–2023Central Michigan
2023–2024Notre Dame (SPD)
2024–presentStanford (asst.)
Head coaching record
Overall50–63 (.442)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
MAC regular season (2020)
MAC West Division (2020)
Awards
  • MAC Coach of the Year (2020)

Heather Oesterle (born (1979-10-12)October 12, 1979) is a former collegiate basketball player who is currently an assistant coach for the Stanford Cardinal women's basketball team. Previously, she was the head coach of the Central Michigan and the strategic program director of Notre Dame women's basketball teams.[1][2] Oesterle was named CMU's head women's basketball coach in July, 2019, succeeding her long-time mentor Sue Guevara. Oesterle served for nine seasons on Guevara's staff at CMU, helping lead the program to unprecedented heights including three Mid-American Conference championships, two MAC Tournament titles, and five MAC West Division crowns. She earned her bachelor's degree in kinesiology from Michigan in 2002 and her master's degree in sports studies from Miami in 2008.

Playing career

She played four years under head coach Sue Guevara at Michigan from 1998 to 2002.[3]

Michigan statistics

Source[4]

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high
Year Team GP Points FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
1998–99 Michigan 21 80 33.3% 14.3% 79.2% 2.2 0.7 0.9 0.1 3.8
1999–00 Michigan 27 111 42.1% 41.4% 86.4% 2.3 1.3 0.5 0.3 4.1
2000–01 Michigan 27 188 38.1% 34.0% 70.4% 4.8 2.6 1.3 0.4 7.0
2001–02 Michigan 27 103 31.9% 22.6% 76.0% 4.0 2.2 1.2 0.2 3.8
Career 102 482 36.5% 28.7% 76.0% 3.4 1.8 1.0 0.3 4.7

Coaching career

Early in her coaching career she was an assistant at Stanford before coming to the MAC as assistant at Miami (OH) and Northern Illinois. She joined Guevara's staff at Central Michigan in 2012 where she remained until Guevara's retirement.[3]

Central Michigan

On July 12, 2019, Oesterle was announced as the new head coach of the Central Michigan women's basketball program.[3] In her first season the Chippewas won the regular season championship with a 15–1 MAC record.[5] They were upset in the MAC tournament prior to its cancellation due to the COVID-19 pandemic and their hopes in the postseason were dashed by the cancellation of the NCAA tournament[6][7][8] In 2021, her team won the MAC tournament with a 77–72 win over Bowling Green.[9][10] They lost to Iowa in the first round of the NCAA tournament.[11] After seasons with single digit wins in her final two years she was fired April 6, 2023.[12]

Notre Dame

On September 7, 2023, Oesterle was announced as Notre Dame's strategic program director.[13]

Return to Stanford

On April 25, 2024, Oesterle returned to Stanford as an assistant coach on Kate Paye's staff.[14]

Head coaching record

College

Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Central Michigan Chippewas (Mid-American Conference) (2019–2023)
2019–20[15] Central Michigan 22–5 15–1 1st (West) Postseason cancelled due to COVID-19
2020–21[16] Central Michigan 18–9 13–6 2nd NCAA first round
2021–22[17] Central Michigan 4–25 2–18 12th
2022–23[18] Central Michigan 6–23 4–14 T–11th
Central Michigan: 50–62 (.446) 34–39 (.466)
Total: 50–62 (.446)

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

References

  1. ^ "Heather Oesterle". CMUChippewas.com. Central Michigan University. Retrieved July 31, 2019.
  2. ^ "Heather Oesterle takes on new role in Notre Dame women's basketball coaching staff". BVM Sports. Retrieved December 26, 2023.
  3. ^ a b c "Heather Oesterle Named Women's Basketball Head Coach". CMUChippewas.com. Central Michigan University. Retrieved July 31, 2019.
  4. ^ "NCAA Statistics". web1.ncaa.org. Retrieved May 23, 2021.
  5. ^ "Crown 'Em!". CMUChippewas.com. Central Michigan University Athletics. Retrieved June 10, 2022.
  6. ^ "Toledo 78, Central Michigan 71". ESPN. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  7. ^ Wright, Branson (March 12, 2020). "Mid-American Conference cancels basketball tournament in Cleveland because of coronavirus concerns". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved June 10, 2022.
  8. ^ "NCAA cancels March Madness tournaments, all other winter and spring championships". news.yahoo.com. Retrieved June 10, 2022.
  9. ^ "Central Michigan 77, Bowling Green 72". ESPN. Retrieved March 20, 2022.
  10. ^ "'Unbelievable feeling': CMU women win MAC, earn third straight NCAA appearance". Detroit News. Retrieved June 10, 2022.
  11. ^ "Central Michigan 72, Iowa 87". ESPN. Retrieved June 10, 2022.
  12. ^ "Central Michigan fires women's basketball coach Heather Oesterle after tough 2 years". Detroit News. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  13. ^ "Heather Oesterle Rounds Out 23-24 Staff". FightingIrish.com. The University of Notre Dame. Retrieved February 1, 2024.
  14. ^ "Paye Rounds Out Staff with Hire of Oesterle". Stanford University Athletics. April 25, 2024. Retrieved May 2, 2024.
  15. ^ "2019-20 Women's Basketball Schedule". Central Michigan University Athletics. Retrieved June 10, 2022.
  16. ^ "2020-21 Women's Basketball Schedule". Central Michigan University Athletics. Retrieved June 10, 2022.
  17. ^ "2021-22 Women's Basketball Schedule". Central Michigan University Athletics. Retrieved June 10, 2022.
  18. ^ "2022-23 Women's Basketball Schedule". Central Michigan University Athletics. Retrieved March 5, 2023.


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