It was a dream come true nine months ago, and now, the dream is even better.
Karen Byers has officially been named the head coach for Seattle Pacific University’s women’s basketball team, losing the ‘interim’ tag after nine months.
Byers was named interim head coach in August 2024 after the departure of former head coach Mike Simonson. She previously served two seasons with SPU as an assistant coach, from fall 2022 to spring 2024.
“I know that I have quickly gone up the ranks, but it’s something that I have been working on for the past 11 years of my life, and I’m always trying to better myself as a coach,” Byers said. “I’m learning, I get mentors, I gain as much knowledge as I can to keep myself ready for new challenges and I want to be the best coach that I can be for the players.”
Byers’ interim season was a long adjustment period, mostly learning how to balance the full responsibilities of an administrator and a head coach.
“There was definitely a learning curve for admin stuff,” Byers said. “I needed to schedule my own games and make sure that we have our flights, hotels and transportation booked. While I did a little of that when I was an assistant, more of it fell on my plate. Learning to juggle that and making sure the team is prepared for games and knows what they need to know, I’ve learned that I can’t assume that the team knows how to handle things, and to set more reminders.”
While Byers adjusted to the office, she overhauled the team’s play style on the court. Under Byers’ lead, the formerly defense-oriented Falcons averaged 65.6 points per game, eight more points per game than the previous season. With a clean slate ahead for next season, Byers plans to fully round the team’s capabilities.
“We’re gonna nail down our defense,” Byers said. “This year we focused a lot on changing the offense, but now that we have the offense down and understand how that goes, we’re going to dive into the defense and make sure we know where our spots are, where we need to be, and so that’s going to help put a complete game together.”
Retaining the helm for the foreseeable future, Byers primarily aims to continue her passion for elevating the team on and off the court, especially building up returning and incoming players to become the best they can achieve.
“Next year, we’ll only have two seniors, and we have a huge freshman class coming in, so we will still be fairly young and inexperienced,” Byers said. “The eight returners, I’m excited to see what they can do on the court. They’re ready for it. They’re ready for that next step, and they’re ready to step into leadership roles this year or next year.”
To accomplish her goals, Byers hopes to enlist support from her community at SPU and the greater coaching community for mentorship.
“I’m talking with a retired Division I coach about taking me on as a [mentee], just to have a sounding board and help me through situations that, as an assistant or as a high school coach, you never [come] across,” Byers said. “[I’m also] reaching out in my community. I’m friends with some of the other coaches, and so I want to grow those relationships.”
Byers also credited her assistant coach, Ava Edmonds, who joined the Falcons this past season, for her support.
“I’m not afraid to say, ‘I don’t know. I need help,’” Byers said. “Ava has been a great help. She helps me walk through some of those things that I’m not sure which way to go, and she’ll say, ‘Okay, let’s look at this from a different view.’”
Edmonds’ first-ever position as an assistant coach alongside Byers’ first year as program lead paints a picture of a clean slate, a fresh start for the Falcons, which is set to continue developing as they welcome another young roster for the 2025-2026 season.
Referencing the incoming freshman class, Edmonds is excited to lay the foundation that will set the team up for our success in the future.
“It’s a blessing for us to establish a foundation and a culture that we really believe in, and have a group of young women come in who can help us form that as well,” Edmonds said. “This is going to be their first time, and they don’t know any different. They haven’t played for any other coaches, so for us to establish a unique identity with them is going to be super special. We’re looking to learn, grow and improve each year as we gain more experience.”
Culminating over a decade of hard work, Byers now gets to live her dream of coaching college basketball to its fullest.
“I’m so blessed to have this opportunity, to be here and to have that ‘interim’ taken off,” Byers said. “I am so excited about the future, and I hope that everyone comes next year and enjoys our new way of playing.”
