John Margaritis
Head Coach • john.margaritis@ucr.edu

John Margaritis was hired as UC Riverside’s seventh head women’s basketball coach in April 2004, coming to UCR from Northern Arizona University, where he had been associate head women’s basketball coach since 1996.

Margaritis wasted no time in turning around the Highlander women’s basketball program, taking over a team that was 7-21 in the year before he arrived to its first-ever appearance in the NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament just two years later.

Margaritis showed his mastery as a recruiter in 2005-06, as he brought in seven freshmen and two sophomore transfers to replace the six players UCR had lost to graduation the previous year. Despite having the third-youngest roster in the nation, the Highlanders made school history by winning the Big West Tournament and earning a trip to the NCAA Tournament.

Featuring a starting lineup of three freshmen and two sophomores, UCR won its final six regular season games to tie for third in the Big West Conference. The Highlanders then steamrolled through the conference tournament, becoming the lowest-seeded team to ever win the Big West Tournament and ending UC Santa Barbara’s nine-year stranglehold on the title. UCR then took its nine-game winning streak onto the national stage, where they were paired in the first round of the NCAA Tournament with national-#1 North Carolina. Although the Highlanders would ultimately fall to the Tar Heels, UCR’s players and its coach became media darlings as their Cinderella story was broadcast to a nationwide audience.

In addition to UCR’s team accolades, Margaritis set himself apart in the program’s history books. With the Highlanders’ 16-15 record in 2005-06, he became the first coach to achieve 10 or more wins in each of his first two seasons as well as the first to post back-to-back winning campaigns since 1994-96. Margaritis also became the fastest coach to 30 victories.

In his first season at UCR, Margaritis took over a senior-laden team and led it to its first winning season since 2001-02, finishing with a record of 16-13. The 2004-05 squad tied the program’s Division I record for wins in a season while placing fifth in the Big West Conference with a 10-8 mark. UCR also advanced to the quarterfinals of the Big West Conference Tournament.

Margaritis is a familiar name to Inland Empire basketball fans, who may remember him from a three year stint at Cal State University San Bernardino. He began his Coyote career as an assistant coach in 1993, where he helped the program to a 29-4 record and a runner-up finish in the 1994 NCAA Division II national tournament (later forfeited due to an ineligible player).

In 1995-96 he was named interim head women’s basketball coach at CSUSB and, despite having just seven scholarship players and being picked to finish last, he led the team to a second place finish in the CCAA with a 7-3 mark.

Margaritis joined NAU in 1996-97 and was promoted to associate head coach in 2001. With the Lumberjacks he assisted in all facets of the program, including on-court coaching, recruiting, scouting, scheduling, budgets, team travel, community and campus relations and co-directing basketball camps.

Margaritis began his coaching career in 1979 as an assistant at his alma mater, Northeastern Illinois, while still an undergraduate student. He became head women’s basketball coach of the NAIA program in 1981, leading his team to a No. 6 in the nation ranking in 1984 and to the NAIA Elite Eight in 1985. During his tenure he coached three All-Americans.

In 1985 Margaritis was hired as assistant women’s basketball coach at the University of Nevada in Reno and in 1988 he became head coach at National-Louis University in Evanston, IL, taking a team that had won just four games the year before and leading them to a 15-win season. Following the campaign, he was hired at Fresno State University as an assistant women’s basketball coach under legendary coach Bob Spencer. Margaritis served as defensive coordinator from 1989-91 and offensive coordinator in 1991-92, and along the way helped the 1989-90 team to a 21-12 record and a post-season NIT berth. He left Fresno State following the 1993 season to begin his tenure at Cal State San Bernardino.

Margaritis is a 1982 graduate of Northeastern Illinois University with a degree in secondary physical education. He and his wife, Laurie, have two sons, Peter and Chris.

Jody Hensen
Assistant Coach • jody.hensen@ucr.edu
Jody Hensen joined the UC Riverside women’s basketball program in April 2007 following several successful assistant coaching stops throughout the country. Her primary responsibility will be to serve as the Highlanders’ recruiting coordinator.

Before arriving at Riverside, Hensen worked in the private sector in 2006 following three years as the Head Coach of the University of Alaska Anchorage. Her tenure at Division II UAA included winning the prestigious Great Alaska Shootout in 2003, where the Seawolves defeated Division I Clemson University in the final.

Prior to her tenure at Alaska Anchorage, Hensen made several stops as an assistant coach at the Division I level. She spent one season at the University of New Mexico, helping the Lobos to the 2002-03 Mountain West Conference championship and an NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen appearance. While UNM, she recruited Mountain West Conference Freshman of the Year Dionne Marsh. From 1999-2002, Hensen spent three seasons as an assistant coach at Clemson, where she helped the Tigers to three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances.

In 1998-99, Hensen spent a season at her alma mater, Northern Arizona University, where she first crossed paths with current UCR Head Coach John Margaritis. Hensen also recruited to NAU current UCR assistant coach Lindsey Foster. Her stint with NAU followed a year at Southern Utah University, where she got her coaching start in 1997.

A native of Homer, Alaska, Hensen was the 1991 Alaska Gatorade Player of the Year and Alaska High School Coaches Basketball Player of the Year after winning seven high school state championships in basketball, cross country, and volleyball. She went on to play at Northern Arizona, where she was voted team captain and graduated in 1995 with a bachelor’s degree in Physical Education. She returned to Alaska from 1995-97 to serve as UAA’s Student Assistant Coach for both men’s and women’s basketball.

As a player, Hensen starred for the Athletes in Action Tour that competed in South America in 1993.

In her free time, Hensen pursues activities that require adventure and fun. She is a member of the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association and lives in Riverside.

Jason Flowers
Assistant Coach • jason.flowers@ucr.edu

Jason Flowers joined the UC Riverside Women's Basketball Coaching Staff on July 2, 2008 following four years at Big West rival Long Beach State. His primary responsibilities while at The Beach were focused on skill development and recruiting. The 49ers finished second in the Big West in Flowers’ first season at Long Beach State and tied for the conference lead in 2005-06. Prior to joining the 49ers, Flowers served as a volunteer assistant for the UCLA Bruins men’s basketball team acting as the team’s academic coordinator from 2001-03.

The Los Angeles native played collegiately at UCLA (2000-01) after spending two seasons at UC Irvine from 1997-98. Flowers graduated with a degree in sociology earning two academic honors from UCLA – the Coaches vs. Cancer Academic Award and the Alumni Association’s Academic Award. He was also awarded the Ducky Drake Memorial Award for inspiration and team play.

As a prep student, Flowers attended Bellflower High School where he earned first team All-Suburban League honors as a senior.

Flowers is married to Long Beach State Assistant Softball Coach Tairia Flowers – a gold medal winning member of the U.S. National Softball team. They have one daughter, Jasmine.

Lindsey Foster
Assistant Coach • lindsey.foster@ucr.edu

Lindsey Foster was hired as an assistant basketball coach at UC Riverside in the spring of 2004 after spending the 2003 season as an undergraduate assistant coach at her alma mater, Northern Arizona University.

The former Lumberjack Most Valuable Player and Defensive Player of the Year, Foster is NAU’s all-time leader in career assists, steals, and free throw percentage (81.8%). Foster also earned top-10 recognition for season and career records in fourteen other categories. A four-year starter and letterwinner, she was twice named Honorable Mention in the Big Sky Conference. She was also a four-time Golden Eagle Scholar from 2000-03.

Foster graduated from Northern Arizona with a degree in health promotion, an emphasis in secondary education, and a minor in biology. In 1999, she graduated from South Kitsap High School in Port Orchard, Washington, where she led her high school team to three consecutive appearances in the state tournament.

Foster resides in Riverside.