University of Detroit Mercy Director of Athletics Robert C. Vowels, Jr., announced Tuesday that head women’s basketball coach Kate Achter has agreed to a contract extension through the 2028-29 season.
“Coach Achter has done a remarkable job of building a program in two years and the future is extremely bright,” said Vowels. “I commend her for rebuilding the culture, identifying student-athletes who are solid academically, finding players who compete, give great effort and have impeccable character. She also has assembled a strong coaching staff to help teach, mentor and coach.”
“I would like to thank President Taylor, Robert Vowels and Associate Athletic Director Teri Kromrei ’03 for their unwavering belief in the rebuild of this program,” Achter said. “I am thankful for their support and the belief of our players and staff in the vision we have set forth. I thoroughly enjoy working at Detroit Mercy, working with my staff and the athletic department, and I especially enjoy that I can have a great family balance and still be a great women’s basketball coach here. I look forward to the years of building and growth ahead.”
In just her second year, coach Achter completely transformed the program to post its first winning season since 2017, as the Titans ended the year at 17-16. The 12-win improvement over last year was the biggest turnaround in school history and one of the top in the nation; the red, white and blue had won just 19 total games the previous six years.
UDM also won nine conference games and a post-season game for the first time since 2016-17.
During the year, Detroit Mercy received votes in the College Insider.com Mid-Major Poll for the first time since the 2012-13 season and had victories over the Horizon League regular season champion Cleveland State and third-place Purdue Fort Wayne.
The Titans tallied a 7-4 record in non-conference play, the most by the squad in non-league action since 1991-92, which included wins over Midwest programs in Bellarmine, Dayton, Eastern Michigan and Western Michigan.
Off the court this past year, the Titans had seven players on the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll and six on the Horizon League Fall Academic Honor Roll.