ASHLAND – With only three losses and a national championship in her storied Division II career, Ashland University women’s basketball head coach Robyn Fralick has decided to move on.

It was announced at a press conference at the Troop Center on Ashland’s campus today that Fralick had accepted the head coach position at Division I Bowling Green State University.

Eagle alumni Kari Pickens has been chosen to replace Fralick as head coach. For the past five years, Pickens has been the assistant and understudy, and now the once student has a chance to truly become the master.

“To be honest, I feel like I’ve been a coach here longer than I’ve been a player,” Pickens said. “It’s not so much to me as a transition from player to coach, as it is from assistant coach to head coach. We always talk about moving those six inches, and I’m fully aware those are going to be a big six inches, but I’m really excited for the opportunity,” Pickens said.

After transferring as a player from Division I Dayton to Ashland, Pickens helped establish the Eagles as a powerhouse, scoring 1,414 points along with 903 rebounds on route to the team being national runner-ups in 2011-12 and outright champions in 2012-13.

The Division II record of most consecutive double-doubles (34) set by Pickens still stands, along with her Eagle records of most rebounds in a game (24) and most points in a season (744).

Pickens was also a two-time Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Player of the Year and a two-time Honda Division II Female Athlete of the Year.

When looking at the total body of work, it was easy for Ashland Athletic Director Al King to make the hire.

“I was obviously here when Kari played, and the last couple of years to see her coach. You pay attention, you watch her, the relationships she has with players, with staff and coaches, and you look for the growth meter. And she just grew so much,” King said.

Anytime there’s a coaching change, college athletes are left with uncertainty, as the person that recruited them is now gone. But the Eagle players remained positive and optimistic.

“We’re just excited. Everybody knows the type of person she [Pickens] is, what kind of coach she will be. We’re looking to get back to winning another national championship, and I think that she’s the best fit,” Crestview graduate and local Ashland product Renee Stimpert said.

Her sentiments were echoed by the Division II Player of the Year, Jodi Johnson, who was asked in jest if she was transferring now, to which Johnson almost yelled, “No! No!”

“Obviously, she’s been in this program for a very long time, under coach Ramsey, who has set this culture,” Johnson said. “Also, being an assistant to coach Fralick for a couple years now, so she [Pickens] knows what this culture is about, knows what this team is about, she knows how we like to play,” Johnson said.

Without a doubt, Pickens will have big shoes to fill. Former coach Fralick won 104 games in three seasons and had the best winning percentage (.972) of any NCAA coach with at least 100 games played. Plus three straight conference coach of the year awards, conference titles and conference tournament championships. Plus two WBCA Nation Coach of the Year awards. But Fralick served as an assistant on the AU bench as well before being named head coach, so Ashland is hoping history will repeat itself.

“Why would you let a great young coach like that, go somewhere else? She knows Ashland, she wants to be here and she’s got great upside. I told Kari today, look, I don’t expect 36 wins every year, that’s hard,” King said.

With all her Ashland ties and experience, Pickens understands how crucial the fan base around town has become to the program.

“They are a huge reason why we’ve been so successful, the support we’ve been able to have, and I just hope we can continue that into the future, because it makes recruiting here a lot easier, it makes playing here 10 times more fun. So If I could say anything to them, that I’m looking forward to working with them and keep coming out because they make it great to work here,” Pickens said.

Coverage of Ashland University Eagles athletics is produced in partnership with OhioHealth, the official sports medicine provider for Ashland University.