July 24, 2008

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Atlantic Coast Conference Commissioner John Swofford announced today that Charlene Curtis, former Wake Forest head women’s basketball coach, has been named as the league's Coordinator of Women’s Basketball Officials.

Curtis, who has served as a women's basketball analyst for Fox Sports Net and ESPNU for the past three years, is a former head coach at Wake Forest, Temple, and Radford, and was an assistant at Virginia, Georgetown, and Connecticut. Curtis also served as an assistant with the WNBA's Charlotte Sting and several USA Basketball teams.

“Charlene Curtis brings not only first-hand knowledge of ACC women’s basketball, but is also an individual who has been known throughout her career as a person who stands on principles including integrity and diligence, and this will prove invaluable in continuing our efforts in making officiating in the league the very best it can possibly be," said Swofford.

A Big South Conference Hall of Fame member as a coach, Curtis has been a women’s basketball officials evaluator for the last four years for the South Atlantic Women's Basketball Officiating (SAWBO) organization.

When not analyzing the game, Curtis can be found instructing future student-athletes on the hardwood as Curtis serves on her local Big Brothers Big Sisters Board of Directors and the Radford University President’s Advisory Council, in addition to conducting camps, clinics and basketball skills set sessions.

"Charlene brings instant credibility to our officials assigning position,” Associate Commissioner for Women’s Basketball Nora Lynn Finch said. “As a former coach and student-athlete, she is well respected and admired in both the coaching and officiating circles. In addition, the Atlantic Coast Conference, with the leadership of Commissioner Swofford, is making a statement by dedicating someone specifically to the development of ACC women’s basketball officials, showing enormous support of the continuous growth of women’s basketball in this league. It is nice to have a mature conduit between our coaches and officials that displays such integrity and approachability.”

A 1976 graduate of Radford, Curtis earned, with honors, a Bachelor of Science degree in music education. While playing for the Highlanders, she was the school’s first 1,000-point scorer (1,043 career points), a team captain, and Most Valuable Player in 1975 and 1976. In 1995, she was inducted as a charter member of the Radford Sports Hall of Fame as both a coach and a player. Curtis also holds a master’s degree in secondary education administration, which she earned from Virginia in 1982.

“I am honored to have been named Coordinator of Officials for one of the elite women’s basketball conferences in the country,” stated Curtis. “My role is to assure that officiating in the ACC keeps pace with the performance level of the student-athletes and coaches. I look forward to working with Commissioner Swofford, Associate Commissioner Finch, the coaches, student-athletes, and officials of the ACC.”