University of Lynchburg director of athletics Dr. Jack Toms ’69 announced Monday that former LC standout Abby Pyzik ’04 will return to the College as the head women’s basketball coach.
Pyzik has assisted at neighboring Washington & Lee University the last two seasons. The Generals captured the conference title last year and made their first-ever NCAA Division III Championship Tournament appearance in school history.
Pyzik also served as an assistant coach for Division I Davidson College for three years, helping the Wildcats to a program-best 23-9 record in the 2006-07 campaign. She started her coaching career as a graduate assistant at Oakland City University, a Division II program in Indiana.
Pyzik, a two-time first-team All-Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) performer at Lynchburg, was a team captain for three seasons. The Hornets had three winning seasons in her four years, and she is fourth in school history with 1,122 career points. The former point guard ranks in the top five in eight different career statistical categories, including holding the program record for assists (373) and three-point shooting percentage (38.7%).
She was a second-team all-state selection in 2003 and 2004 and was voted the University of Lynchburg Senior Female Athlete of the Year in 2004. She graduated from LC with a Bachelor of Science in athletic training and is scheduled to earn her master’s of education degree in sports leadership from Virginia Commonwealth University this winter.
“We are very happy to turn the women’s basketball program over to Abby,” Toms said. “She has great experience and has proven she is ready to run her own team. Abby knows what it takes to win at this level and is very familiar with the school and conference.”
“Words cannot describe the unbelievable honor it is to return home to one’s alma mater,” Pyzik said. “As an alum, I understand what it takes to be a successful student-athlete both on and off the court. I am excited to re-energize the atmosphere of enthusiasm and establish a winning tradition within the women’s basketball program. I would like to extend my thanks to President Garren, Dr. Toms, and the entire Lynchburg community for the incredible opportunity to lead this program to a new level. There is no doubt that with a tremendous amount of hard work and dedication Lynchburg will grow to be a top competitor in the ODAC year in and year out.”