MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. -- North Central University Athletics is pleased to announce the hire of Leah Szabla as its next Head Women's Basketball Coach. Szabla joins a North Central University Rams team that is coming off its most successful season in school history, having accumulated a 24-5 record in route to winning the UMAC Playoff Championships while qualifying for the NCAA National Tournament.
Szabla is no stranger to NCU, having helped assist the Rams under former coach Paul Brunner during an 18-4 campaign that resulted in a UMAC Regular Season Championship. Szabla most recently served as the head coach of Crown College's women's basketball program where she helped lead their team to its most successful finish in years while accumulating program first wins over St. Scholastica and a sweep of Northland College. In addition to these stops, Szabla was the recruiting coordinator for Wayne State College and a graduate assistant at Black Hills State University. During her time at Black Hills State University, Szabla helped lead their team to an at-large bid in the NCAA National Tournament (Division II) while overseeing player development.
Coach Szabla has an extensive network throughout the Midwest having coached AAU basketball for years while also being a standout prep player in the state of Minnesota. As a collegiate athlete, Szabla was a four-year starter for the University of North Dakota where she amassed over 1,000 points and led the team as a captain for two years. During her time at UND, she was also named UND Athletics Unsung Hero recipient. She has an undergraduate degree in Psychology from the University of North Dakota (2017) and a master's degree in Strategic Leadership from Black Hills State University (2019).
