| Janzen called Wiese a true champion. “She won championships as a player and coach, but more importantly she modeled and taught her players how to be champions in life. We will miss her, but I know she will do great things at FCA,” he said.
Wiese is expected to take up her FCA duties in Modesto in the fall. The move will also ease the commute for Wiese’s husband Paul, a Modesto fireman.
FCA is an exciting prospect, Wiese said. “It is a unique opportunity for student-athletes from different teams to learn, grow and develop in their relationship with Jesus Christ. The ministry of FCA has a positive influence on the lives of student-athletes.”
In 10 seasons as head coach, Wiese led the Sunbirds to a 180-138 record (.566), including 100-66 (.602) in Golden State Athletic Conference play. She was named GSAC coach of the year in 1996 and 2002, the seasons she guided FPU to the conference championship. Her players earned National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics All-American recognition seven times and NAIA All-America Scholar Athlete honors 16 times. Wiese’s best season came in 2001-2002 when the Sunbirds went 27-8 and played in the NAIA National Championship Tournament.
“I’ve been blessed by Fresno Pacific University,” Wiese said. “It has had a tremendous impact on my life and I will always be grateful.”
A 1986 Ripon Christian High School graduate, Wiese arrived at the university in 1987 after playing her freshman season at Modesto Junior College. She completed both a bachelor’s degree in physical education (1990) and master’s in special education (1996) at FPU.
As a student-athlete Wiese appeared in 87 games and led the team in assists as a junior and in scoring as a senior. She helped the Sunbirds win the Golden State Athletic Conference and NAIA District Three titles in 1989 on the way to an NAIA National Championship Tournament appearance.
Wiese still ranks among FPU’s career leaders in rebounding (520), assists (200) and scoring (755). The Sunbirds were 61-27 (.693) during Wiese’s playing career, including 27-7 (.794) in GSAC play. She captained the 1989 and 1990 teams, and was MVP her senior year. She was also named to the All-GSAC and All-District Three teams, and was honored as the FPU Senior Athlete of the Year in 1990.
Wiese served as assistant coach in 1990-1991, then taught physical education and coached girls basketball and volleyball at Fresno Christian High School from 1991 to 1993. She rejoined the Sunbird coaching staff as an assistant in the fall of 1993 and became head coach in 1995.
“It is hard to say goodbye to my team,” Wiese said. “They are a dynamic group of student-athletes who will continue to represent FPU and the women’s basketball program in the highest manner. It was a joy to have the opportunity to coach them.”
The search for a new coach begins immediately, Janzen said.
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Fresno Pacific University offers undergraduate and graduate programs that stress solid academic preparation and a strong ethical foundation. Each year more than 2,000 traditional and adult students attend classes on the 42-acre main campus in southeast Fresno or centers in Visalia and Bakersfield. The university also reaches 12,000 students across the nation and around the world through professional development studies programs. The only four-year Christian university in the Central Valley, FPU is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges and ranked in the top quarter among Western universities—master’s category by U.S. News & World Report.
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