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Tonja Englund has announced her retirement after 26 years of leading the UW-Eau Claire Blugolds Women’s Basketball program.
Englund retires as the winningest coach in UW-Eau Claire women’s basketball history, compiling an overall record of 427-265 (.617), including a 225-149 (.602) mark in WIAC (Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) play. She guided UW-Eau Claire to four WIAC regular season titles (2001, 2003, 2008, 2012) and two WIAC tournament championships (2003, 2022). The Blugolds went to seven NCAA Tournaments under Englund’s leadership, including a run to the Final Four in 2003 – where they eventually finished third in the nation.
“I would like to thank former UW-Eau Claire Athletic Director Marilyn Skrivseth for giving me to lead the Blugolds in 2000,” Englund said. “It has been an honor to work with so many talented student-athletes and dedicated assistant coaches. I will always appreciate the tremendous support of our loyal Blugold women’s basketball fans and the Eau Claire community.”
Englund was named the Russell Athletic/Women’s Basketball Coaches Association National Coach of the Year in 2003. She is one of only five WIAC coaches to ever receive a national coach of the year honor. Englund also won WIAC Coach of the Year twice (2003, 2021). She became the winningest coach in UW-Eau Claire’s winningest women’s basketball coach in the 2015-16 season.
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