Former Butler star joins her coach on Bethel bench
BUTLER TWP — Kim Nowakowski was enjoying a stellar basketball career at California (Pa.) University.
After leading the Vulcans in scoring, rebounding and blocked shots as a sophomore and junior, she was preparing for her senior season this summer before receiving an opportunity she couldn't pass up.
Nowakowski accepted a position as varsity assistant girls basketball coach at Bethel Park under Jonna Burke, who coached Nowakowski in high school at Butler.
Nowakowski is still attending California as she works toward a master's degree in exercise science. She earned a degree in business in May.
"I kept in contact with Jonna," said Nowakowski, a 2003 graduate of Butler. "I was just starting my master's degree and she lost an assistant coach and was looking for someone."
"She's good with the big girls, with all her knowledge," said Burke, who is in her fifth year at Bethel Park. "It's great to have someone who knows your stuff."
And she certainly has applied it well throughout her playing career.
With 1,135 points, Nowakowski is the seventh-leading scorer, male or female, in Butler High basketball history. She was a two-time Butler Eagle first-team all-star, including a co-Player of the Year selection as a junior, and was a third-team pick as a sophomore.
She spent one year at Division I Bowling Green State University, but missed being back in the area.
"I was far away," said Nowakowski. "I was too young. I was homesick. I got hurt. I only saw my parents three times that year.
"I saw that Cal won the national championship that year and thought, 'That would be a great place to play,'" Nowakowski added.
In the next three seasons under coach Darcie Vincent, Nowakowski established herself as one of the Vulcans' top players in the program's history.
She finished ninth overall in career points (1,254) and seventh in rebounds (811). Her 82.1 free-throw percentage in 2005 was the fourth-best single-season mark and her 20 rebound s in one game was eighth-best.
She was named to the Daktronics all-region team her sophomore and junior campaigns, the latter as a first-teamer. She was also a two-time PSAC first-team selection and led the conference in rebounding her junior year and was ranked among the top 15 in Division II.
But bypassing her final year of college eligibility didn't mean staying away from the game.
"This is her first year of not having a season and this eases that," said Burke. "She's still in college and the money ain't bad."
"I'm enjoying it," said Nowakowski. "I thought this would be a great transition. It's been easy coaching these girls. I know about post play and I know about winning. I thought this would be a good step.
"I really enjoy coaching with Jonna. She was my coach. Now we're friends. It's been great. ... It is unique how I understand what she was thinking when I played. I realize now why we did what we did," Nowakowski added.
But don't expect Nowakowski to make coaching a career. With her major in business and master's degree to be wrapped up in July, she's looking ahead to the future.
"I want to be in management. I kind of want to be a director of some kind of facility," said Nowakowski. "I think helping coach a basketball team will look good on my resume."
