BigChiefFan
10-31-2005, 12:17 PM
The longest-tenured head coach in the NFL, Bill Cowher begins his 14th season as coach of his hometown Steelers.
Cowher ranks ninth in NFL history for longest head coaching service with one team.
But not only is he one of the veteran coaches in the NFL, Cowher has become one of the league’s most successful.
In 13 seasons under Cowher, the Steelers have earned nine postseason berths, captured eight division titles, advanced to five AFC Championship games and made one Super Bowl appearance. He is one of only six coaches in NFL history to claim at least eight division titles.
Cowher, 48, ascended the coaching ranks from a special teams coach to defensive coordinator to become one of the youngest head coaches in NFL history.
Cowher’s coaching career has been a model of consistency. In 13 seasons, he has missed the playoffs just four times. Cowher joined the legendary Paul Brown as the only head coach to lead a team to the playoffs in each of his first six seasons. Additionally, Cowher’s .627 regular-season winning percentage (130-77-1) ranks fourth among active coaches with at least 75 victories. Cowher’s overall record is an impressive 138-86-1 (.613), which ranks fourth among active coaches.
Cowher earned his 50th regular-season win Nov. 3, 1996, in his 73rd game to become the eighth-fastest coach in NFL history to reach that mark. He claimed his 100th regular-season coaching victory in a 16-13 overtime win versus Cleveland (Sept. 29, 2002). His 100th win overall came--including postseason—came Dec. 21, 2001 vs. Minnesota. Cowher has won 138 games as a head coach, and moved into second in team victories behind Chuck Noll (209 wins) during his fifth season when he recorded his 52nd win. In 1997, Cowher surpassed Ray Parker’s 105 games coached for the second-most games (213) as the Steelers head coach, trailing only Noll (366 games).
During Cowher’s tenure, the Steelers have featured a trademark running attack and a solid, aggressive defense. In 13 years, the team has averaged a league-leading 135 rushing yards a game and has rushed for more yards (28,088) than any team in the NFL during the period, the only club to rush for more than 28,000 yards. In that same period, the offense has churned out a league-high 90 100-yard rushing games—followed by Dallas’ 81.
Cowher has built a defense that mirrors his fiery attitude. In the 208 regular season games since becoming head coach, the defense has allowed an average of 94.3 rushing yards a game and 193.2 yards passing.
The 2004 season may be regarded as Cowher’s finest head-coaching performance. Despite numerous injuries—to many key positions such as quarterback, nose tackle and running back—the Steelers established a club-record 15-1 season, the most regular-season wins in NFL history for an AFC team. Additionally, he captured his eighth divisional title in 13 years and advanced to the AFC Championship for the fifth time as the Steelers’ head coach, clinching home field advantage throughout the playoffs for the fourth time. As a result, Cowher was named The Sporting News’ Coach of the Year in a vote by NFL head coaches.
The 2003 season began with high expectations and a spectacular season opening performance versus AFC-North rival Baltimore, the eventual division champion. Injuries, especially along the offensive line, and inconsistency disrupted the season. Though the Steelers’ two-year reign as division champs ended, the Steelers battled to the very end, another trademark of Cowher’s teams. The season-finale at Baltimore, which had no standings implications, was a classic and ended in a Ravens’ 13-10 overtime victory.
In 2002, Cowher once again led the Steelers to the postseason. Entering the season as heavy favorites for the Super Bowl, the Steelers staggered to a 0-2 and 1-3 start. But, Cowher’s intuitive change at starting quarterback—from Pro Bowl Kordell Stewart to backup Tommy Maddox—sparked the Steelers, who won nine of their remaining 12 games to capture the first AFC North Championship and compile a 10-5-1 record. The Steelers defeated the Cleveland Browns in the AFC Wild Card game before losing the AFC Divisional playoff game in overtime to the host Tennessee Titans, 34-31.
Cowher guided the Steelers back to the postseason in 2001 after a three-year absence. Despite predictions to the contrary, the team captured its 15th AFC Central crown—the sixth under Cowher—and posted an AFC best 13-3 regular-season record.
After achieving great success in his first six seasons as the Steelers head coach, the team experienced two subpart seasons in 1998 and ’99, and missed the playoffs again in 2000. Many predicted the same for the 2001 Steelers.
Determined to reverse the fortunes of the previous three seasons, Cowher rededicated himself—and the team. He instilled a commitment and focus that were earmarks of teams from Cowher’s first six campaigns. A rigorous off-season conditioning program and an intense, physical training camp characterized the 2001 team.
After a humiliating 21-3 season-opening defeat to the Jacksonville Jaguars in Florida, the Steelers developed a resolve over the course of the next three weeks that led the team on a journey of success. The tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001, coupled with an NFL scheduled bye week, gave the Steelers an unusual three-week reprieve. While some teams may have been affected adversely from the layoff, the Steelers re-energized and refocused to win 13 of their last 15 games en route to the AFC Championship game—the fourth appearance under Cowher.
Through all of Cowher’s successes, the 2000 season could rate as one of his finest coaching performances. After two non-playoff seasons and many predicting a similar fate in 2000, the Steelers lost the first three games of the year, and the critics seemed prophetic. But, Cowher once again met the challenge and rallied the team to a 9-4 finish, a surge that kept the Steelers in playoff contention until the last game of the season.
The 1999 season marked his second straight losing season. In a year that began with a 2-0 start and high expectations, the 1999 Steelers ended with a lackluster 1-7 finish and a 6-10 record, the worst of Cowher’s career.
In 1998, Cowher experienced un-chartered territory. For the first time in his head-coaching career, the Steelers did not make the playoffs. Nevertheless, despite several key injuries throughout the season, especially along the offensive line, the team remained competitive and had opportunities to clinch a playoff berth until the 15th week of the season.
The elements heading into 1997 didn’t favor the Steelers. Ten key players departed from the previous season, a new defensive coordinator was hired and a first-year quarterback took control of the offense. Still, the Steelers overcame those obstacles to post an 11-5 record, and Cowher led his team to their third home AFC Championship game in four seasons. After defeating New England (7-6), the Steelers season ended with a 24-21 loss to the eventual-Super BowlChampion Denver Broncos.
While the 1996 outcome didn’t compare to the Super Bowl appearance of the previous season, it might have been one of Cowher’s best coaching jobs at that point of his young career. For the second straight-season, Cowher was forced to overcome losses of key starting personnel on a team that already featured a re-tooled offense. During the course of the season, the Steelers had 14 starters miss 64 starts due to injury. Those adjustments forced Cowher to play 40 different starters throughout the season. Despite this adversity, Cowher led the Steelers to their fifth-consecutive playoff berth and their fourth AFC Central title in five seasons.
In 1995, at the age of 38, Cowher became the youngest head coach to lead his team to a Super Bowl. Along the way, Cowher’s team captured its third AFC Central Division title in four years, made its fourth straight playoff appearance, and won the Steelers’ first AFC title since 1979.
The Steelers’ 11-5 regular-season record was the second best in the AFC, which exceeded the expectations of most. In the off-season, the team lost seven veterans through free agency and trades. They had to play four games without starting quarterback Neil O’Donnell and almost the entire season without 1994’s starting cornerbacks Deon Figures and Rod Woodson, a perennial All-Pro. In addition, linebacker Chad Brown missed six games after a phenomenal start.
Despite the setbacks, Cowher was able to rally his team from a near-disastrous 3-4 start to an NFL-best eight-game winning streak and a bye in the first round of the playoffs. This was accomplished with a major change in both offensive and defensive strategies, as the Steelers made key adjustments to compensate for their personnel losses.
The 1995 Steelers led the AFC in scoring with 407 points and set eight new offensive team records. They also led the NFL in time of possession (an average of 32:36). On defense, they established new team marks for fewest yards allowed rushing and fewest yards per game rushing (82.6/game). Their 22 interceptions were second most in the NFL.
In 1994, the Steelers won 12 regular-season games (most in the AFC) en route to winning the Central division title and hosting the AFC Championship Game. The Steelers won their first NFL rushing title since 1976 and the defense ranked second in the league, while compiling an NFL best 55 sacks. Cowher recorded his first postseason win by defeating Cleveland, 29-9, on January 7, 1995, in the Divisional Playoff game. The Steelers came up three yards short in the AFC Championship Game, losing to San Diego (17-13).
The 1993 Steelers started slowly at 0-2, but six wins in the next seven games brought the team to a 6-3 mark and first place in the AFC Central division. On the final weekend of the regular season the Steelers claimed the final AFC Wild-Card berth after winning three of the last five games. Offensively, the team finished with the exact same AFC rankings as the previous year, but it improved from 21st to 13th in NFL passing rankings. The defense jumped from eighth to first in AFC total defense rankings, and from 17th to third in NFL run defense.
Cowher was introduced as the Steelers head coach on January 21, 1992, 26 days after the retirement of Hall of Fame coach Chuck Noll. At the age of 34, Cowher was two years younger than Noll was upon becoming the Steelers head coach in 1969.
Cowher returned to his hometown following seven years as an assistant under Marty Schottenheimer in Cleveland and Kansas City. His appointment as the Steelers head coach immediately followed a three-year stint as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach for the Chiefs.
Cowher has 25 years of NFL experience, including five as a player, seven as an assistant coach and 13 as a head coach. In his first 13 years of coaching, Cowher had never been associated with a team that posted a losing record. In fact, in 15 of his 20 seasons as a coach, Cowher’s teams have advanced to the playoffs.
In his first year as head coach, Cowher was selected as the 1992 National Football League’s Coach of the Year by the Associated Press and The Sporting News. Cowher was also named Pittsburgh’s Man of the Year in Sports by the Dapper Dan Club. He directed the Steelers to their first AFC Central Division crown in eight years with an 11-5 record, the team’s best mark since they last won a Super Bowl in 1979. One of four AFC teams to win 11 games in 1992, the
Steelers shared the best record in the conference as Cowher became one of only 12 coaches in NFL history to win 11 games in his first season as head coach.
Cowher began his coaching career in 1985 with the Cleveland Browns. At age 28, he was the league’s second-youngest assistant coach.
He served on Schottenheimer’s staff as the Browns’ special teams coach in 1985-86 and secondary coach in 1987-88. As secondary coach, Cowher’s 1987 group produced 23 interceptions to tie for third in the AFC, while in 1988 the Cleveland defense ranked fourth overall in the conference. The following year Cowher joined Schottenheimer on the Kansas City coaching staff.
In 1989, Cowher’s first season as a 32-year-old defensive coordinator, the Kansas City defense led the AFC and ranked second in the NFL in total defense. The following year the unit led the league in three categories with 60 sacks, 25 fumbles recovered and 45 takeaways. In 1991 the Chiefs ranked third in the conference and fifth overall in the NFL en route to a 10-6 finish and a Wild-Card playoff berth.
A former linebacker and special teams standout, Cowher enjoyed a five-year NFL playing career with the Browns (1980-82) and the Philadelphia Eagles (1983-84). He signed with Philadelphia in 1979 as an undrafted free-agent rookie, but was the last linebacker waived in training camp after playing in three preseason games. The following year he signed with Cleveland and earned a roster spot, playing in all 16 games, including two starts at inside linebacker.
Cowher sat out the 1981 campaign after suffering a season-ending knee injury in the third preseason game. Returning in 1982 as special teams captain, he started at outside linebacker in two games while playing in all nine contests.
Cowher was traded to Philadelphia prior to the start of the 1983 season (Aug. 21) for a ninth-round draft pick. He was selected the Eagles most valuable special teams player that year and played in all 16 games. In 1984, a knee injury kept him out of all but four games and ended his career as a player. Cowher returned to Cleveland the following season and began his coaching career as a member of Schottenheimer’s Browns staff.
Cowher grew up in the Crafton area, west of Pittsburgh. He is a 1975 graduate of Carlynton High School, where he excelled in football, basketball and track. He was selected honorable mention All-State in football as a senior before moving on to North Carolina State, where he earned four letters and was a three-year starter at linebacker. As a senior in 1978, Cowher was selected team captain and Most Valuable Player after leading the defense in tackles for the second straight year. He also received the 1978 Cary Brewbaker Award as the school’s outstanding defensive lineman as selected by the coaching staff. In 1979, Cowher graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in education.
William Laird Cowher was born May 8, 1957 in Pittsburgh. It was at North Carolina State that Cowher met his wife, Kaye. Also a graduate of North Carolina State, Kaye and her twin sister Faye played professional basketball for the New York Stars of the Women’s Professional Basketball League. The Cowher’s have three daughters: Meagan Lyn (19), a standout basketball player at Princeton University, where she completed her freshman season; Lauren Marie (17), and Lindsay Morgan (14).
Cowher ranks ninth in NFL history for longest head coaching service with one team.
But not only is he one of the veteran coaches in the NFL, Cowher has become one of the league’s most successful.
In 13 seasons under Cowher, the Steelers have earned nine postseason berths, captured eight division titles, advanced to five AFC Championship games and made one Super Bowl appearance. He is one of only six coaches in NFL history to claim at least eight division titles.
Cowher, 48, ascended the coaching ranks from a special teams coach to defensive coordinator to become one of the youngest head coaches in NFL history.
Cowher’s coaching career has been a model of consistency. In 13 seasons, he has missed the playoffs just four times. Cowher joined the legendary Paul Brown as the only head coach to lead a team to the playoffs in each of his first six seasons. Additionally, Cowher’s .627 regular-season winning percentage (130-77-1) ranks fourth among active coaches with at least 75 victories. Cowher’s overall record is an impressive 138-86-1 (.613), which ranks fourth among active coaches.
Cowher earned his 50th regular-season win Nov. 3, 1996, in his 73rd game to become the eighth-fastest coach in NFL history to reach that mark. He claimed his 100th regular-season coaching victory in a 16-13 overtime win versus Cleveland (Sept. 29, 2002). His 100th win overall came--including postseason—came Dec. 21, 2001 vs. Minnesota. Cowher has won 138 games as a head coach, and moved into second in team victories behind Chuck Noll (209 wins) during his fifth season when he recorded his 52nd win. In 1997, Cowher surpassed Ray Parker’s 105 games coached for the second-most games (213) as the Steelers head coach, trailing only Noll (366 games).
During Cowher’s tenure, the Steelers have featured a trademark running attack and a solid, aggressive defense. In 13 years, the team has averaged a league-leading 135 rushing yards a game and has rushed for more yards (28,088) than any team in the NFL during the period, the only club to rush for more than 28,000 yards. In that same period, the offense has churned out a league-high 90 100-yard rushing games—followed by Dallas’ 81.
Cowher has built a defense that mirrors his fiery attitude. In the 208 regular season games since becoming head coach, the defense has allowed an average of 94.3 rushing yards a game and 193.2 yards passing.
The 2004 season may be regarded as Cowher’s finest head-coaching performance. Despite numerous injuries—to many key positions such as quarterback, nose tackle and running back—the Steelers established a club-record 15-1 season, the most regular-season wins in NFL history for an AFC team. Additionally, he captured his eighth divisional title in 13 years and advanced to the AFC Championship for the fifth time as the Steelers’ head coach, clinching home field advantage throughout the playoffs for the fourth time. As a result, Cowher was named The Sporting News’ Coach of the Year in a vote by NFL head coaches.
The 2003 season began with high expectations and a spectacular season opening performance versus AFC-North rival Baltimore, the eventual division champion. Injuries, especially along the offensive line, and inconsistency disrupted the season. Though the Steelers’ two-year reign as division champs ended, the Steelers battled to the very end, another trademark of Cowher’s teams. The season-finale at Baltimore, which had no standings implications, was a classic and ended in a Ravens’ 13-10 overtime victory.
In 2002, Cowher once again led the Steelers to the postseason. Entering the season as heavy favorites for the Super Bowl, the Steelers staggered to a 0-2 and 1-3 start. But, Cowher’s intuitive change at starting quarterback—from Pro Bowl Kordell Stewart to backup Tommy Maddox—sparked the Steelers, who won nine of their remaining 12 games to capture the first AFC North Championship and compile a 10-5-1 record. The Steelers defeated the Cleveland Browns in the AFC Wild Card game before losing the AFC Divisional playoff game in overtime to the host Tennessee Titans, 34-31.
Cowher guided the Steelers back to the postseason in 2001 after a three-year absence. Despite predictions to the contrary, the team captured its 15th AFC Central crown—the sixth under Cowher—and posted an AFC best 13-3 regular-season record.
After achieving great success in his first six seasons as the Steelers head coach, the team experienced two subpart seasons in 1998 and ’99, and missed the playoffs again in 2000. Many predicted the same for the 2001 Steelers.
Determined to reverse the fortunes of the previous three seasons, Cowher rededicated himself—and the team. He instilled a commitment and focus that were earmarks of teams from Cowher’s first six campaigns. A rigorous off-season conditioning program and an intense, physical training camp characterized the 2001 team.
After a humiliating 21-3 season-opening defeat to the Jacksonville Jaguars in Florida, the Steelers developed a resolve over the course of the next three weeks that led the team on a journey of success. The tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001, coupled with an NFL scheduled bye week, gave the Steelers an unusual three-week reprieve. While some teams may have been affected adversely from the layoff, the Steelers re-energized and refocused to win 13 of their last 15 games en route to the AFC Championship game—the fourth appearance under Cowher.
Through all of Cowher’s successes, the 2000 season could rate as one of his finest coaching performances. After two non-playoff seasons and many predicting a similar fate in 2000, the Steelers lost the first three games of the year, and the critics seemed prophetic. But, Cowher once again met the challenge and rallied the team to a 9-4 finish, a surge that kept the Steelers in playoff contention until the last game of the season.
The 1999 season marked his second straight losing season. In a year that began with a 2-0 start and high expectations, the 1999 Steelers ended with a lackluster 1-7 finish and a 6-10 record, the worst of Cowher’s career.
In 1998, Cowher experienced un-chartered territory. For the first time in his head-coaching career, the Steelers did not make the playoffs. Nevertheless, despite several key injuries throughout the season, especially along the offensive line, the team remained competitive and had opportunities to clinch a playoff berth until the 15th week of the season.
The elements heading into 1997 didn’t favor the Steelers. Ten key players departed from the previous season, a new defensive coordinator was hired and a first-year quarterback took control of the offense. Still, the Steelers overcame those obstacles to post an 11-5 record, and Cowher led his team to their third home AFC Championship game in four seasons. After defeating New England (7-6), the Steelers season ended with a 24-21 loss to the eventual-Super BowlChampion Denver Broncos.
While the 1996 outcome didn’t compare to the Super Bowl appearance of the previous season, it might have been one of Cowher’s best coaching jobs at that point of his young career. For the second straight-season, Cowher was forced to overcome losses of key starting personnel on a team that already featured a re-tooled offense. During the course of the season, the Steelers had 14 starters miss 64 starts due to injury. Those adjustments forced Cowher to play 40 different starters throughout the season. Despite this adversity, Cowher led the Steelers to their fifth-consecutive playoff berth and their fourth AFC Central title in five seasons.
In 1995, at the age of 38, Cowher became the youngest head coach to lead his team to a Super Bowl. Along the way, Cowher’s team captured its third AFC Central Division title in four years, made its fourth straight playoff appearance, and won the Steelers’ first AFC title since 1979.
The Steelers’ 11-5 regular-season record was the second best in the AFC, which exceeded the expectations of most. In the off-season, the team lost seven veterans through free agency and trades. They had to play four games without starting quarterback Neil O’Donnell and almost the entire season without 1994’s starting cornerbacks Deon Figures and Rod Woodson, a perennial All-Pro. In addition, linebacker Chad Brown missed six games after a phenomenal start.
Despite the setbacks, Cowher was able to rally his team from a near-disastrous 3-4 start to an NFL-best eight-game winning streak and a bye in the first round of the playoffs. This was accomplished with a major change in both offensive and defensive strategies, as the Steelers made key adjustments to compensate for their personnel losses.
The 1995 Steelers led the AFC in scoring with 407 points and set eight new offensive team records. They also led the NFL in time of possession (an average of 32:36). On defense, they established new team marks for fewest yards allowed rushing and fewest yards per game rushing (82.6/game). Their 22 interceptions were second most in the NFL.
In 1994, the Steelers won 12 regular-season games (most in the AFC) en route to winning the Central division title and hosting the AFC Championship Game. The Steelers won their first NFL rushing title since 1976 and the defense ranked second in the league, while compiling an NFL best 55 sacks. Cowher recorded his first postseason win by defeating Cleveland, 29-9, on January 7, 1995, in the Divisional Playoff game. The Steelers came up three yards short in the AFC Championship Game, losing to San Diego (17-13).
The 1993 Steelers started slowly at 0-2, but six wins in the next seven games brought the team to a 6-3 mark and first place in the AFC Central division. On the final weekend of the regular season the Steelers claimed the final AFC Wild-Card berth after winning three of the last five games. Offensively, the team finished with the exact same AFC rankings as the previous year, but it improved from 21st to 13th in NFL passing rankings. The defense jumped from eighth to first in AFC total defense rankings, and from 17th to third in NFL run defense.
Cowher was introduced as the Steelers head coach on January 21, 1992, 26 days after the retirement of Hall of Fame coach Chuck Noll. At the age of 34, Cowher was two years younger than Noll was upon becoming the Steelers head coach in 1969.
Cowher returned to his hometown following seven years as an assistant under Marty Schottenheimer in Cleveland and Kansas City. His appointment as the Steelers head coach immediately followed a three-year stint as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach for the Chiefs.
Cowher has 25 years of NFL experience, including five as a player, seven as an assistant coach and 13 as a head coach. In his first 13 years of coaching, Cowher had never been associated with a team that posted a losing record. In fact, in 15 of his 20 seasons as a coach, Cowher’s teams have advanced to the playoffs.
In his first year as head coach, Cowher was selected as the 1992 National Football League’s Coach of the Year by the Associated Press and The Sporting News. Cowher was also named Pittsburgh’s Man of the Year in Sports by the Dapper Dan Club. He directed the Steelers to their first AFC Central Division crown in eight years with an 11-5 record, the team’s best mark since they last won a Super Bowl in 1979. One of four AFC teams to win 11 games in 1992, the
Steelers shared the best record in the conference as Cowher became one of only 12 coaches in NFL history to win 11 games in his first season as head coach.
Cowher began his coaching career in 1985 with the Cleveland Browns. At age 28, he was the league’s second-youngest assistant coach.
He served on Schottenheimer’s staff as the Browns’ special teams coach in 1985-86 and secondary coach in 1987-88. As secondary coach, Cowher’s 1987 group produced 23 interceptions to tie for third in the AFC, while in 1988 the Cleveland defense ranked fourth overall in the conference. The following year Cowher joined Schottenheimer on the Kansas City coaching staff.
In 1989, Cowher’s first season as a 32-year-old defensive coordinator, the Kansas City defense led the AFC and ranked second in the NFL in total defense. The following year the unit led the league in three categories with 60 sacks, 25 fumbles recovered and 45 takeaways. In 1991 the Chiefs ranked third in the conference and fifth overall in the NFL en route to a 10-6 finish and a Wild-Card playoff berth.
A former linebacker and special teams standout, Cowher enjoyed a five-year NFL playing career with the Browns (1980-82) and the Philadelphia Eagles (1983-84). He signed with Philadelphia in 1979 as an undrafted free-agent rookie, but was the last linebacker waived in training camp after playing in three preseason games. The following year he signed with Cleveland and earned a roster spot, playing in all 16 games, including two starts at inside linebacker.
Cowher sat out the 1981 campaign after suffering a season-ending knee injury in the third preseason game. Returning in 1982 as special teams captain, he started at outside linebacker in two games while playing in all nine contests.
Cowher was traded to Philadelphia prior to the start of the 1983 season (Aug. 21) for a ninth-round draft pick. He was selected the Eagles most valuable special teams player that year and played in all 16 games. In 1984, a knee injury kept him out of all but four games and ended his career as a player. Cowher returned to Cleveland the following season and began his coaching career as a member of Schottenheimer’s Browns staff.
Cowher grew up in the Crafton area, west of Pittsburgh. He is a 1975 graduate of Carlynton High School, where he excelled in football, basketball and track. He was selected honorable mention All-State in football as a senior before moving on to North Carolina State, where he earned four letters and was a three-year starter at linebacker. As a senior in 1978, Cowher was selected team captain and Most Valuable Player after leading the defense in tackles for the second straight year. He also received the 1978 Cary Brewbaker Award as the school’s outstanding defensive lineman as selected by the coaching staff. In 1979, Cowher graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in education.
William Laird Cowher was born May 8, 1957 in Pittsburgh. It was at North Carolina State that Cowher met his wife, Kaye. Also a graduate of North Carolina State, Kaye and her twin sister Faye played professional basketball for the New York Stars of the Women’s Professional Basketball League. The Cowher’s have three daughters: Meagan Lyn (19), a standout basketball player at Princeton University, where she completed her freshman season; Lauren Marie (17), and Lindsay Morgan (14).