2001-02 SLC Coach of the Year
After making her mark as one of the most successful high school coaches in Texas High School Girls Basketball history, Donna Capps is wasting little time in putting her stamp as one of the up-and-coming coaches in women[apos]s college basketball.
Capps has turned a struggling Mavericks basketball program into an NCAA contender in just six seasons. Capps is just five wins away from her 100th college coaching victory and has already won more than 600 games as a head coach in both the prep and college ranks.
Capps led UT Arlington to its first NCAA Tournament appearance in either men[apos]s or women[apos]s basketball in 2005. If front of a raucious crowd at Reunion Arena in Dallas, a national television audience watched the Mavs battle national power Texas Tech to even terms for a half before losing in the opening-round game.
For just the second time in Southland Conference history a coach with a losing record was named the league[apos]s coach of the year when Capps revived the downtrodden program to 12 league wins and a fourth-place finish after a 14-15 record in 2001-02.
Capps has used her Texas high school connections to recruit some of the state[apos]s best talent. In turn, Mav players have earned all-conference recognition 16 times over the past five season. Senior-to-be Terra Wallace became the first Mav to be named the Southland Conference Player of the Year following last season. Former player Rola Ogunoye is currently playing professional basketball in Europe.
The Mavericks are more than individuals. UT Arlington led the nation in scoring defense in 2006 allowing a paltry 51.6 per game and led the league for the second straight year.
Capps[apos] coaching career has come full circle, returning to the city where she first picked up a clipboard and whistle in 1974 as the ninth-grade girl[apos]s coach at J.I. Carter Junior High School in Arlington. In 1977-78, she served as head coach of the girl[apos]s track and field team as well as assistant girl[apos]s basketball coach at Bowie High School. Putting together winning programs is old hat to Capps with winning programs at North mesquite High School and Crandall High School. She compiled an amazing 510-188 (.731) record at the high school level.
Capps came to Arlington from Crandall High School, where she served as the head women[apos]s basketball coach and women[apos]s athletic director from 1991-2000. She averaged almost 24 wins each seasons, capped off in 2000 when her team finished 30-6 and advanced to the region finals. In all, she won three bi-district championships, one district title and separate trips t the region quarterfinals, semifinals and finals.
Prior one season at Mabank (1990-91), Capps began her head coaching career at North Mesquite High School where she led the women[apos]s basketball team from 1978-90. She compiled a 282-94 (.750) record. Capps led NMHS to 11 straight playoff appearances, including a trip to the state finals in 1988, losing the only game of the season in the title game.
Capps has been recognized by numerous organizations for her coaching achievements. She was named the Dallas Morning News Coach of the Year in 1983 and again in 1988, as well as the Dallas Times Herald Coach of the Year in 1988. She was also selected as the High School Women[apos]s Coach of the Year by the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches (TABC) and the Texas Girls Coaches Association (TGCA) and Baden Sports Inc. in 1988.
She served on the Board of Directors of the TABC from 1992 until 1997 and TGCA chairperson in 1988. Capps was picked as a coach for the TGCA All-Star games in 1988 and 1994. She also has led squads in the 1995 TABC All-Star game and the 2000 Oil Bowl All-Star game.
Her country witticisms are a crowd favorite and she has become one of the most requested speakers in the community. She spoke at the TGCA convention in 2003 and the Texas high School Coaches Association in 2006. She was asked by Fox Sports to provide insight during the NCAA women[apos]s basketball tournament in 2005. Capps has been a motivational speaker for numerous civic groups, nonprofit organizations and coaching clinics. As a player, Capps was a four year all-dis trict player at Crandall High School where the forward[apos]s forte was to shoot.
After graduating from CHS, Capps spent one semester at Kilgore College before heading to Henderson Community College (now Trinity Valley Community College). In Capps[apos] two years at HCC, the team was just starting a program under coach Connie Jo Russell. Capps earned her bachelor of science degree from Texas A&M-Commerce in biology and physical education in 1974. In 1977, she completed work on her master[apos]s degree in physical education from TAMU-Commerce. She has also taken course work in a doctoral program at TAMU-Commerce.
Capps and her husband, Jon, a captain for the Mesquite Fire Department, have two children, Tiffany, 26, and Chad, 23.
