Jill DeVries enters her 15th season as head women's basketball coach at Valley City State University.
DeVries ranks first in program history with 219 career wins, and posted a 219-230 record at VCSU from 1999-2013. DeVries stepped away from coaching for the 2013-14 season, but was rehired by VCSU in May 2014.
Her squads qualified for three straight NAIA National Tournaments in 2011, 2012 and 2013 – the first national tournament appearances in program history. The Vikings had winning records in each of her last five seasons and went 100-57 over that stretch.
Her 2011 squad won the Dakota Athletic Conference tournament championship and earned the program's first ever appearance at the NAIA National Tournament. Her 2012 and 2013 teams also made the national tournament, and the 2013 team posted a school-record 24 wins. While at VCSU, DeVries has coached 18 All-Conference performers, four Honorable Mention All-Americans, and 27 NAIA Scholar-Athletes.
Besides head women's basketball coach, DeVries also works as assistant athletic director.
DeVries was the 2011 recipient of the DAC Coach of the Year as well as having been nominated by the DAC for the NAIA Coach of Character. The Coach of Character Award is given annually to a coach who demonstrates methods of teaching character through sport and instills a tradition of athletic and community excellence.
Prior to arriving at VCSU, DeVries served as top assistant and recruiting coordinator at the University of Nebraska-Kearney. In her tenure at UNK, the Lopers were 52-8, two-time RMAC champions, and advanced to the North Central Region Tournament both years. Before that, DeVries finished her master's degree at North Dakota State University, where she served as graduate assistant for Amy Ruley during the 1995-96 national championship campaign and the 1996-97 season.
DeVries' college coaching career started at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay as a graduate assistant under Carol Hammerle. While at UWGB, the Fighting Phoenix advanced to the NCAA D-I national tournament for the first time in school history.
DeVries played her college ball at North Dakota State University where she was captain of the 1990-91 Bison national championship team. During the ’90-’91 season, DeVries was selected Women’s Sports Federation All-American and All-North Central Conference. She was also honored by being named to the 1991 Final Four all-tournament team. In 2007, DeVries was inducted into the NDSU Athletic Hall of Fame and in 2011 her 1991 National Championship NDSU women’s basketball team was the first women’s team to be inducted into the NDSU Hall of Champions.
A Glyndon, Minn., native, DeVries was a two-time Class A All State selection while at Glyndon-Felton High School. In her prep career, she earned all-conference honors five times for basketball.
DeVries earned a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Physical Education from North Dakota State University (1992) and a Master’s of Education also from NDSU (1997).
