Roman Owen, who joined the Yale coaching staff in 2015, is an integral part of the process of laying down a new foundation for the Bulldogs under the direction of Allison Guth, Yale's Joel E. Smilow, Class of 1954 Head Coach of Women's Basketball. His responsibilities include recruiting, coaching the point guards and wings, assisting with practice plans, scouting reports of opponents, film breakdown, scheduling and overseeing all travel.
In 2017-18 Owen helped the Bulldogs win the WBI Championship, becoming the first Ivy League women's basketball team to win a national postseason tournament. Yale won a school-record 19 games, and earned a spot in the post-season Ivy League Tournament for the first time. The Bulldogs pulled off several signature wins, including a victory at TCU (ranked in the top 25 at one point of the season). He also was instrumental in helping Yale earn recognition from PASS Recruiting for the top mid-major recruiting class.
Owen was responsible for the development of Tamara Simpson '18, who earned the Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year award for the second season in a row in 2017-18. A second team All-Ivy League selection, she set the league record for steals in a season (130) and was third nationally in steals per game. She finished her career second on the Ivy League's all-time steals list with 362. She scored 1,275 career points, ninth all-time at Yale.
In Owen's first season with the Bulldogs (2015-16), he was a part of the team that posted 14 victories while competing vs. one of the toughest non-conferences schedules in the country along with a stout Ivy League slate. That season he helped senior team captain Whitney Wyckoff '16 finish seventh in the league with 3.0 assists per game.
In his second season with the Bulldogs, Owen helped the Bulldogs post a 15-12 overall record which included wins over Ivy champion Penn and rival Harvard. He coached Lena Munzer '17 to a career high 12.7 points per game, shooting 37.7% from the three-point line while pulling down 6.5 rebounds per game. Owen also helped guide Simpson to the Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year award, as she finished with 79 steals.
Before Yale, Owen spent two seasons with the Oklahoma Sooners under Hall of Fame coach Sherri Coale. There he assisted with day-to-day scouting, editing and inspirational leadership as the video coordinator. While part of the staff, Oklahoma reached two consecutive NCAA Tournaments. Owen also scouted and broke-down game film of all 66 opponents for Coale’s staff.
From 2010 to 2013, Owen served as the head coach of the women’s basketball team at Mid-America Christian University. He directed all aspects of the NAIA program, including practices, live scouting, film exchange, academic success, player development, strength and conditioning and the budget.
Under Owen’s direction, Mid-America Christian posted a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better in each of the three seasons. In his three years at MACU he led the program to 41 total victories as a part of the Sooner Athletic Conference, one of the strongest NAIA conferences in the country. In 2011, he coached the program to an NCCAA Regional Championship and consolation championship at the NCCAA National Tournament.
Prior to his stay at Mid-America Christian, Owen served as an assistant coach for the men’s basketball team at Oklahoma City University for two seasons. He assisted in all aspects of the program while helping the Stars to a 32-26 overall record, including an appearance in the NAIA National Tournament in 2010.
Owen earned his Master of Arts in Education at the University of Central Oklahoma in July of 2009. He graduated from Southwestern Christian University in 2007 with a Bachelor of Science in Biblical Studies.
While at Southwestern Christian, he became the program’s all-time leading scorer with 2,802 points and was named the Pete Maravich NCCAA Player of the Year in 2007-08. Owen helped lead his team to two consecutive NCCAA National Championship games.
Owen resides in Branford with his wife, Natalie. They are the proud parents of their daughter, Olivia.
Updated Aug. 21, 2018
