Emily Geary just ended her fifth year with the program as an assistant coach after being hired by head coach Autumn Rademacher when she took the job. Since her arrival, she has been one of the key contributors in helping Coach Rademacher turn the program around from a last-place team to a postseason winner.
Besides serving as the program’s Recruiting Coordinator, she also handles on the court and scout preparation and the Titans’ travel arrangements.
In teaming with Coach Rademacher, she has helped transform a program that won just 11 games in the prior two seasons, to a trip to the Horizon League Championship game in 2012 and a Women's Basketball Invitational (WBI) championship just this past year.
In her five years, she has helped coach five players that have combined for 15 All-Horizon League honors, including two HL Newcomers of the Year, a pair of First Team All-League selections and a Titan who won back-to-back Sixth Player of the Year accolades.
“I recruited Emily when I was at Western Michigan,” said Rademacher. “She is someone who brings a lot to the table; Emily is extremely organized, is great with the players, and an excellent communicator. I am thrilled to have her on my staff.”
In the past two seasons, the Titans have been a threat to take over the top spot in the Horizon League, posting two-straight 20-win campaigns as well as two-straight postseason appearances. The back-to-back 20-win seasons is the first since 1978-82, and Detroit also had a win over a top-10 program on the road in #9/9 Green Bay, the first victory over a top-10 on the road in school history and the first overall since 1981.
Last year, Detroit recorded 21 wins, including tying for the most in the country at home with 16, as UDM was the No. 1 seed in the WBI and defended that with four wins to take home its first postseason title since 1981.
In 2011-12, UDM was 20-14 overall and 14-4 in the Horizon League, making the championship game and receiving the league’s automatic bid to the WNIT. The 20 wins and postseason appearance was the first since 1996-97, when the red, white and blue went 23-7 and made its only NCAA Tournament.
In her first season (2007-08), she helped the Titans to 12 wins, the most since the 2003-04 campaign, and one of those victories was impressive as Detroit upset #23 Georgia at home, 70-66, for the coaching squad’s first-ever triumph. UDM went on to finish at 7-11 in the HL, defeating Loyola in the opening round of the Horizon League Championship.
In her second season, the Titans started slow, but picked up steam as the season went on to finish 17-14 and tied for second in the HL with a 14-4 mark, which also tied a school record for most conference wins in a year. They also defeated another nationally-ranked team in #23/22 Green Bay during a streak in which UDM won six in a row and 12 out of 14. The following campaign in 2010-11 saw Detroit upend Michigan on the road, 67-48, in a game it never trailed at Crisler Arena for the program’s first win over U-M since 1994.
Geary came to UDM from Franklin College (IN) where she served as an assistant coach for its women’s program for two seasons (2006-08). While with the Grizzlies, Geary assisted in formulating practice plans, was involved in all aspects of recruiting, prepared scouting reports, was responsible for film exchange and initiated an individual skill development program for each player every week.
In addition to her coaching responsibilities, Geary served as Franklin’s assistant sports information director. She helped out in all phases of the creation of various media guides, updated statistics and assisted in writing various news releases, which were then distributed to the media.
Geary started off her collegiate career at Western Michigan University (2000-02) when Rademacher was an assistant coach for the Broncos. While at WMU, Geary was named to the All Mid-American Conference Freshman Team (2001) and made the Dean’s List all four semesters.
Geary then transferred to Northern Michigan where she played two seasons for the Wildcats. In her first season at NMU (2002-03), Geary earned Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) All-Defensive team honors.
In her senior season, Geary was named to the All-Conference second team, as well as the GLIAC All-Defensive team. For her efforts in the classroom, Geary made the Dean’s List both semesters, was given the National College Athlete Honor Society Award and earned GLIAC All-Academic Team honors. Geary finished her collegiate career with over 1,200 points.
After college, Geary played professionally in Germany’s top division for the Marburg Blue Dolphins (2004-06). She finished eighth in the division in scoring during the 2004-05 campaign and was named team captain the following season.
A native of Reed City, MI, Geary graduated from Reed City High School where she closed out her career with 1,514 points.
The former Emily Samuelson, Geary married Titan assistant coach Mike Geary in the summer of 2012. She graduated from NMU in 2004 with a bachelor’s degree in social work.
