By Andy Furman
NKyTribune reporter
It was hard keeping up with Abby Owings on the basketball court.
It may be even harder to keep up with her now.
As a four-year starter (2014-18) for Thomas More (then) College, she appeared in three NCAA Division III national championship games with two national titles. (One was removed).
Abby Owings
She was named to the NCAA All-Tournament team and first-team all-conference as a freshman and a sophomore.
She was a D3hoops.com All-America her sophomore season.
“In my four years,” she quicky remembered for the Northern Kentucky Tribune, “I only lost three games.”
She was quick – how quick?
In her senior year she recorded 78 steals, along with 99 assists, 83 rebounds and averaged 14.5 points-per-game.
She became the leading scorer in Thomas More history with 1,789 career points.
Not too shabby for someone listed at a height of five-foot-two inches.
The progression for Owings seemed natural – basketball, of course.
“I’ve always been a basketball junkie,” she proudly admitted, “In fact, I don’t know what I’d do without it.”
She says basketball is her passion – followed closely with helping others in life.
“I find that to be very rewarding,” she said.
So, basketball it was – and is.
But you’d need a roadmap to keep up with Owings.
Her first job was a Graduate Assistant Basketball Coach at Morehead (Ky.) State. “That was one year,” she said.
That Morehead team finished second in the Ohio Valley Conference (2018-19) and advanced to the second-round of the WNIT after knocking off The Ohio State University in the first round.
Time to move – for a year, again.
Now it was Shawnee State University where as Assistant Coach she helped lead that club to a more than respectable 29-4 record and a Mid-South Conference Championship.
Owings at TMU
“I assisted as the Recruiting Coordinator, prepared scouting reports and game plans and mentor 13 student athletes, was the Director of Basketball Operations, player development, coordinator for all positions, managed game film exchange, assisted with strength training, scheduling, and managed all social media accounts.”
Anything else?
And yes, it was time to move – again.
Last year she was a member of Bellarmine University’s staff as Assistant Coach.
She again assisted with scheduling, player development, was the academic liaison, prepared scouting reports and game plans, was the facilities liaison and managed all social media accounts.
But – you guessed it – moving time.
Abby Owings was named Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator at Eastern Kentucky University by head coach Greg Todd last month.
“It was a strange move,” she said, “since Bellarmine and Eastern are in the same league. But my role at Eastern will be different.”
Owings says she’ll now run the entire recruiting show for EKU Women’s Basketball.
And she’s doing just that.
She was returning from a Chicago trip the other day watching potential student-athletes.
“We’re in the July evaluation period,” she said, “I’ll go to AAU clinics.”
She did.
From July 6th to the 8th, she was watching games in Louisville.
She was in Chicago from the 10th to the 12th.
Her pitch to the youngsters, simply is this: “EKU is sleeping giant. Not much tradition – and we can build on this together. I’m selling a dream,” she said.
Her dream seems to be already answered.
“I’ve always had aspirations to be a Division I Assistant Coach,” she said.
What about someday returning to Thomas More University – now a DII school?
“I like the position I’m in now,” the Simon Kenton High School grad said, “And know that if there was an opportunity in the future to go back to TMU – at the right time – and situation – I would love to do that. Right now, is just not that time.”
Not moving time – that is.
