DALLAS, Texas (March 9, 2021) – After a great first season at the helm, FIU women's basketball head coach Jesyka Burks-Wiley was named the Conference USA Coach of the Year, the league office announced on Tuesday.
 
Voting on the award was done by the C-USA head coaches and media members in each conference city.
 
"I know this is an individual award, but this couldn't be more reflective of our effort as a team and a staff," Burks-Wiley said. "I'm so proud to be able to coach these young women every day with a staff that makes me and our players better every day.  I'm grateful for the success we have had so far and I'm looking forward to what the future holds."
 
Burks-Wiley picks up the C-USA Coach of the Year award in her first season at FIU, becoming the first to accomplish that feat since Houston's Todd Buchanan in 2010-11. Among first-year head coaches, Burks-Wiley's 12 victories are tied for the fourth-most in the nation while the win total is the most ever by a Panther coach in their inaugural season.
 
"We are very excited and proud of what Coach Burks-Wiley has done in her first year here at FIU," Executive Director of Sports & Entertainment Pete Garcia said. "She has built a solid foundation for the women's basketball program to compete for championships."
 
FIU has been transformed in just one year under Burks-Wiley, with the Panthers ranking in the top half of the league in most statistical categories. The Blue & Gold ranks first in the conference and 19th nationally for three-pointers made, while the 199 treys this season broke FIU's single-season mark. Additionally, the Panthers rank second in the league for assists, rebounds and steals.
 
UP NEXT
Burks-Wiley and the Panthers will open action at the C-USA Basketball Championships in Frisco, Texas on Wednesday, March 10, as FIU takes on Southern Miss at Noon ET. The game will be televised on ESPN+. 
 
SOCIAL MEDIA
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