Kelly Roysland Joins Women’s Basketball Staff

A press release from www.gophersports.com

University of Minnesota women’s basketball head coach Pam Borton announced the hiring of former Golden Gopher standout Kelly Roysland as an assistant coach today.

A native of Fosston, Minn., Roysland was a four-year letterwinner in basketball for the Gophers from 2004-07. She served as a team captain as a senior, and also played one year of volleyball as a fifth-year senior in 2007.

“I am very excited Kelly is coming home,” Borton said. “Kelly has been an integral part of this program as a player, and she will add a tremendous amount to our staff. She was part of our Final Four team, and she will bring a lot of knowledge to our players, both on and off the court. I am fortunate to have Kelly join our staff, and I know our fans will be excited that she’s back in the Gopher family.”

For the past two years, Roysland has been an assistant coach at North Dakota State University. She was hired at NDSU in June 2008, and has helped the Bison post back-to-back 16-13 records, including a combined mark of 23-13 in the Summit League.

“I was absolutely thrilled when Pam (Borton) presented me with this opportunity to join the staff,” Roysland said. “It really is a dream come true to come back to Minnesota and coach with Pam, the coach who I played for, and to work alongside Curtis (Loyd) and Ted (Riverso).”

Roysland was an assistant coach, as well as the recruiting coordinator for the Bison. On the court, she was primarily responsible for guard development. Off the court, she was in charge of organizing all recruiting activities, as well as game preparation, scouting, and individual preseason and postseason workouts.

“I’m always going to have a soft spot in my heart for North Dakota State, because it’s where I got my first opportunity to get into coaching,” Roysland said. “I’ve learned a ton from Coach (Carolyn) DeHoff while being a part of her system. We feel we’ve built a good foundation, and the program is heading in a great direction.”

At Minnesota, Roysland will work with the Gophers’ guards, as well as having responsibilities with scouting and recruiting. Her connections within the state of Minnesota will help her to play a vital role in the Golden Gophers’ recruiting efforts.

Roysland finished her basketball career ranked 12^th (currently 13^th) on Minnesota’s all-time scoring list with 1,074 career points. She averaged 8.5 points per game over 126 contests for the Gophers, including a team-high 13.2 points per game during her senior season in 2006-07.

As a senior, Roysland was named Minnesota’s Most Valuable Player, while earning All-Big Ten third team accolades from the conference’s media members and honorable mention honors from the league’s coaches. She also fared well in the classroom, earning Academic All-Big Ten accolades her final three seasons with the Gophers, and was a two-time recipient of the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award in 2007 and 2008.

“Minnesota is a place that I absolutely love,” Roysland said. “I grew up loving The Barn, and then had a chance to play there. Now I get to work with the current players and to continue the winning tradition at Minnesota. It’s something I’m very honored and humbled to be a part of again.”

During her career, Minnesota made three trips to the NCAA Tournament and one appearance in the WNIT. Roysland played in nine NCAA Tournament games, which included reserve roles on the Golden Gophers’ 2004 Final Four team and 2005 Sweet Sixteen squad, while averaging 6.6 points per game in those nine contests.

Roysland earned her bachelor’s degree in sport management, graduating from Minnesota in 2007 with a 3.365 grade point average. She then compiled a 3.860 GPA to receive a master’s degree in exercise science from Minnesota in 2009. She received the University of Minnesota’s Presidential Leadership Award in 2007.

She is one of three former Gopher players – Carol Ann Shudlick and Lindsay Whalen being the others -- with an endowed scholarship in her name.

Her father, Mike Roysland, is the head women’s basketball coach at Division II member UM Crookston. The Gophers and Golden Eagles will face each other in an exhibition game at Williams Arena on Sunday, Nov. 7, at 2:00 p.m.

Roysland’s first official day at Minnesota will be Monday, October 18, and she will attend the Gophers’ Hoops U event on Sunday from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. at Williams Arena.

- UM -