IU East's Tiffani Selhorst earns RSC Coach of Character Award for 2016-17
FLORENCE, Ky. -- IU East women's basketball head coach Tiffani Selhorst has earned the 2016-17 River States Conference Coach of Character Award. Selhorst, the Red Wolves' coach the last three years, was chosen after voting from the conference's athletic directors.
The RSC Coach of Character Award is patterned after the NAIA award of the same name and is given annually to a head coach who has been outstanding in embracing the five core values of the NAIA's Champions of Character initiative, using methods of teaching character through sport and in community leadership through volunteering or service.
The five core values of Champions of Character are respect, responsibility, integrity, servant leadership and sportsmanship. It is the second year that the conference has named a winner of this award with former Asbury softball head coach Samantha DeMartine winning in 2015-16.
A native of Ottawa, Ohio, Selhorst has brought IU East women's basketball to the top of the conference and into a national contender in NAIA Division II. The Red Wolves were 29-6 as RSC Tournament champions and NAIA Division II National Championship Sweet 16 qualifiers last season. IU East ended the year ranked No. 15 in the final NAIA DII Top 25 Poll. It was the second straight year in the national tourney for the Red Wolves.
Off the court, Selhorst has upheld a high standard of academics for her team. Red Wolves women's basketball had the highest team grade-point average of any team in the conference for any sport. The team had five of its 13 members earn NAIA Scholar-Athlete status as juniors or seniors with 3.50+ GPAs.
Selhorst is the Senior Women's Administrator at IU East and the advisor for the Red Wolves' Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, a program she created in 2015-16. IU East women's basketball had its first-ever year of competition in 2014-15. Selhorst was named in 2017 a Wayne County Young Professionals "Top 10 Honoree".
Selhort's assistant coaches had the following to say in support of her:
"Coach Selhorst is a positive example to so many students here at IU East," said IU East women's basketball assistant coach Darryce Moore. "She is a mentor to many students, and many of them are not necessarily basketball players or student athletes. She doesn't do it for praise. She does it because she wants to make a meaningful impact on their lives."
"Coach Selhorst is very deserving of this award!" said IU East women's basketball assistant coach Alexa Bess. "She has been an example of devotion, loyalty and honesty to her athletes, staff, coworkers and Indiana University East as a whole since she started the program in 2014. She is a great example and role model for all athletes on our campus to look up to. She is setting the example to our girls and teaching them to be great female leaders in the world when they leave Indiana University East."
RIVER STATES CONFERENCE COACH OF CHARACTER AWARD WINNERS
2015-16 -- Samantha DeMartine (Asbury University), Softball Head Coach
2016-17 -- Tiffani Selhorst (IU East), Women's Basketball Head Coach