After Kimberly boys’ basketball coach Jon Murphy announced his retirement, there was plenty of anticipation about who would succeed him. Now, it’s official: former Wisconsin Badgers basketball standout Freddie Owens is stepping in to lead the Papermakers.
“Freddie is grounded in the values and principles that we firmly believe in at Kimberly,” Athletic Director Ryan McGinnis said in a press release. “His background and perspective will add tremendous value to our program and community. His basketball background, in particular, is extremely impressive, and the communication skills and passion he brings will benefit our kids and community.”
Owens brings a wealth of experience both as a player and a coach. From 2000 to 2004, he made his mark with the Wisconsin basketball program, averaging 7.2 points per game across 111 games for the Badgers. Two Big Ten regular season Championships highlighted his tenure in Madison.
Badgers fans will never forget Owens for his iconic game-winning shot off a Devin Harris assist in 2003, which propelled Wisconsin basketball over Tulsa and into the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.
Transitioning from player to coach, Owens embarked on a coaching journey that took him to various programs, including stops at Holy Cross, Montana, Utah Valley State University, Oregon State, and Loyola University Maryland. Most recently, he served on the coaching staff at UW-Green Bay, where he briefly took the helm as interim head coach following the departure of Will Ryan, who is the son of former Wisconsin basketball coach Bo Ryan, in January 2023, albeit with a 1-10 record during his interim tenure.
Despite being thrown into an unfavorable interim position at UW-Green Bay, the former Wisconsin basketball guard’s track record as a player with significant coaching experience in the college ranks makes this a nice pull for the Papermakers.
“My family and I are ecstatic to be joining the Kimberly athletic family,” said Owens. “I look forward to building relationships within the community and working with the student-athletes to achieve their goals both on and off the court. I would like to thank Athletic Director Ryan McGinnis and Principal Jackie DePeau for this wonderful opportunity. Our teams will work relentlessly to continue the winning tradition at Kimberly.”
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