Carol Callan (''nee'' Leimer) is an American basketball executive. She is the first female President of the

International Basketball Federation The International Basketball Federation (FIBA ; French: ) is an association of national organizations which governs the sport of basketball worldwide. FIBA defines the rules of basketball, specifies the equipment and facilities required, ...

(FIBA) Americas and director of the

United States women's national basketball team The USA Basketball Women's National Team, commonly known as Team USA, is governed by USA Basketball and competes in FIBA Americas. The team is by far the most successful in international women's basketball, having won 10 out of the 12 Olympic to ...

. Under her guidance, she has helped lead the United States to six consecutive Olympic gold medals from 1996 until 2012 and four World Championships. In 2020, Callan was inducted into the

Women's Basketball Hall of Fame The Women's Basketball Hall of Fame honors those who have contributed to the sport of women's basketball. The Hall of Fame opened in 1999 in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA. It is the only facility of its kind dedicated to all levels of women's bask ...

as a contributor. Callan is a current member of the

FIBA Central Board The FIBA Central Board is an institution of FIBA (the governing body of basketball). It is the highest executive body of the organization, with the role of overseeing basketball globally. A majority of its members are elected by the FIBA Congress, ...

, FIBA's highest executive body.

Early life and education

Callan earned her

Bachelor of Arts A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...

degree in Mathematics and Physical Education from

William Woods University William Woods University is a private university in Fulton, Missouri. Founded in 1870, the university is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Expanding its mission to address the need for graduate and adult-oriented programs, the instit ...

, where she graduated from in 1975. She played one season with the Owls basketball team in 1974, recording an average of 16.75 points per game and totaling 201 points. She then enrolled at the

University of Colorado Boulder The University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder, CU, or Colorado) is a public research university in Boulder, Colorado, United States. Founded in 1876, five months before Colorado became a state, it is the flagship university of the University o ...

for a dual

Master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional prac ...

in business administration and physical education.

Career

Upon graduating from the University of Colorado Boulder (CU), Callan accepted a director of athletics and activities position at Fairview High School from 1986 until 1995 and worked there as an assistant principal for two years. As Fairview High School’s girls’ basketball coach, Callan led them to the 4A State Championship in 1985. During her time at the school, she also sat on the USA Basketball's Executive Committee and chaired the Women's Coach and Player Selection Committee. Callan left Fairview High School in 1995 to accept a paid job at USA Basketball's Colorado Springs-based organization. As director of the

since 1996, she has helped lead the United States to six consecutive Olympic gold medals from 1996 until 2012 and four World Championships. Since her start, the women's national team has a record of 100–1 in World Cup and Olympic competition. She also provided color commentary on CU radio broadcasts and chaired several national team committed including the National Team Steering Committee, National Team Player Selection Committee, and the Developmental National Team Committee for USA Basketball. In recognition of her efforts, Callan was inducted into the Sportswomen of Colorado Hall of Fame in 2009 and received the 2019 Naismith Outstanding Contributor to Women’s Basketball award. In 2020, she was indicted into the

as a contributor and became the first female President of the

(FIBA) Americas.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Callan, Carol Year of birth missing (living people) Living people 21st-century American women American women's basketball players Basketball executives University of Colorado Boulder alumni William Woods Owls athletes