OMAHA, Neb. - First-year Omaha women's basketball head coach Jamie Carey announced Friday the appointments of Leah Szabla, Claire Gritt and Madison Townley as assistant coaches to her inaugural Mavericks coaching staff.

Carey was hired as the 10th head coach in Omaha women's basketball history on May 4.

No stranger to the Midwest, Szabla joins Omaha after serving as the associate head coach at Augustana (NCAA Division II) for the 2024-25 season. Prior to arriving in Sioux Falls, S.D., Szabla led North Central (NCAA Division III) for two seasons as the Rams' head coach. Spending time on the AAU circuit with the MN Metro Stars for three years, Szabla was the head coach for Crown College (NCAA Division III) and had stints as an assistant coach at North Central, Wayne State (NCAA Division II) and Black Hills State (NCAA Division II) as a graduate assistant.

While at North Central as an assistant, the team captured the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference regular season title and during her time at Black Hills State, the Yellow Jackets earned an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament.

Szabla played four seasons at North Dakota during the program's time in the Big Sky Conference. Starting at point guard, Szabla is a 1,000-point scorer and two-time team captain for UND. During her playing career, North Dakota captured two Big Sky titles, advancing to two NCAA Championships. While coaching the MN Metro Stars in 2023, Szabla was named the Minnesota AAU Coach of the Year.

Szabla earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a minor in Sociology from North Dakota in 2017 and earned a Master of Science in Strategic Leadership from Black Hills State in 2019.

"I'm extremely excited and grateful for the opportunity to join Jamie Carey's amazing staff at the University of Nebraska at Omaha," said Szabla. "I truly believe in the vision Jamie has cast for the future of this program and can't wait to work alongside her. Omaha is truly a special place with an incredible community and I am so blessed to be a part of it."

Carey on Szabla
"Leah comes to UNO with a vast experience in the basketball world both as a successful and impactful player at North Dakota, but also as a coach working with young women in both high school and college. Her work ethic and drive quickly stood out to me, along with her passion for recruiting and connections in key areas of the country. Leah also brings a wealth of experience on the court having been a head coach at various stops, winning league championships along the way."

Gritt joins the Mavericks from Army West Point (NCAA Division I) where the Black Knights finished the 2024-25 season with 25 victories and the program's first-ever postseason victory which came in the WNIT over Bryant on March 20. Prior to her time in the Hudson Valley, Gritt spent three seasons on staff at Utah State (NCAA Division I), ending her tenure as assistant coach/director of player development.

A 2021 graduate of Denver, Gritt scored 1,068 points with the Pioneers and was named the 2017-18 Summit League Freshman of the Year. The Arlington Heights, Ill. native was also named to the 2017-18 Summit League All-Newcomer Team and Honorable Mention All-Summit League. Out of high school, Gritt was recruited by Boston University, DePaul, Princeton, Western Illinois and Yale, in addition to DU.

Gritt graduated with a Bachelor of Arts, Psychology and Communications from Denver in 2021 and later earned a master's in sport management at Utah State in 2023.

"I'm incredibly grateful to join the Omaha family and deeply thankful to coach Carey for this amazing opportunity," said Gritt. "Returning to the Summit League as a coach is a tremendous honor and I'm excited to work with an outstanding staff, team and community here in Omaha."

Carey on Gritt
"I have always appreciated and respected people who have grown up step-by-step in the world of college basketball. Claire will bring a multitude of experiences to our program including having had a successful career at Denver followed by experiences in operations, player development and most recently as an assistant coach. Claire is loyal, driven, creative and highly motivated to make an impact on student-athletes lives and has experienced the Summit League with various recruiting ties to the area. I am delighted to welcome Claire to Omaha."

Townley joins the staff after playing at North Texas when Carey was the associate head coach for the Mean Green. A UNT team captain, Townley played five seasons becoming the school's all-time leader in rebounds (875) and games played (133). Townley also finished No. 25 on North Texas' all-time scoring list with 711 points.

The 2019-20 CUSA Winter Spirit of Service Award honoree, Townley was an active member of UNT's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and was named to the 2021-22 Honorable Mention All-CUSA team.

A high school standout, Townley, from Duncanville, Texas, completed an undefeated season that culminated in a state championship as a senior and lost just seven games during her high school career.

"I am extremely grateful to be a part of the UNO family and cannot wait to exceed the potential of this program," said Townley. "I am super excited to help mold these ladies into the best student-athletes they can be, on and off the court."

Carey on Townley
"I could not be more excited to join in another journey with Madi (Townley). Madi made an immediate impact on me as a coach while playing for our staff at North Texas. She embodies and exudes what being a student-athlete is all about. Her work ethic, attention to detail and passion for the game of basketball has led her into the record books at UNT and will be key in her relating, mentoring and developing our student-athletes here at Omaha. I am excited to watch her impact our program."

2025-26 Omaha women's basketball Season Ticket Membership renewals are now open. Current members can log on to OMavs.com/Tix, call 402-554-MAVS or visit the Baxter Arena box office to renew their tickets. Season Ticket Members can email unotickets@omavs.com for questions or assistance.

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