University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Women's Basketball
Petersen, Josh
Josh Petersen
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
- Email:
- jpeterse@unca.edu
- Phone:
- 251-6906
Josh Petersen finished his third year as an assistant coach with the UNC Asheville basketball program during the 2016-17 campaign. He specializes in the development of post players. Petersen’s other primary responsibilities include serving as the Bulldogs’ recruiting coordinator and camp director.
Through the first three years that Petersen has been on head coach Brenda Kirkpatrick’s staff in Asheville, they have taken the program to new heights and set a new standard. That includes going from winning 9 games in 2014-15 to winning 45 games in just the last two campaigns while capturing back-to-back Big South Conference Tournament crowns, two NCAA Tournament berths and one Big South Conference regular-season title.
During Petersen’s three years in Asheville, six Bulldogs have earned All-Big South Conference honorees, including 2015-16 league Player of the Year Chatori Major. Additionally, four players have earned Big South Championship All-Tournament honors with Major and Sonora Dengokl being named Most Valuable Player in 2016 and 2017.
While the 2016-17 campaign proved special, it also brought about its own unique challenges. The Bulldogs finished the year with a 19-15 record that included an impressive finish and UNC Asheville’s second-straight Big South Conference Championship crown and NCAA Tournament berth. The 19-15 record marked just the seventh time in program history that UNC Asheville women’s basketball finished with a positive record.
Tabbed as the league’s preseason favorite to claim the regular-season crown, the Bulldogs started the season well enough, winning four of their first five games. As the calendar turned to conference play, the Bulldogs lost key players to injury, forcing the staff to make changes to personnel and game strategies while asking players to expand their rolls. Despite going 9-9 in Big South play during the regular season, the changes and growth paid off in spades as the Bulldogs closed out the 2016-17 campaign winning eight of their last 10 games. Included in that stretch were two wins to wrap up the regular season and then four wins in four days to claim the Big South Conference Championship title. It was the first time in league history that a team had won four games over four days to take home the title.
During the Big South Conference Championships stretch, the seventh-seeded Bulldogs won their first-round game over No. 10 seed Longwood and turned around the next day to knock of second-seeded Campbell in the quarterfinal round. During the semifinal round, Asheville defeated sixth-seeded Presbyterian and the Bulldogs then wrapped up the incredible stretch by toppling top-seeded Radford in the championship game, earning the league’s automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament for the second-straight season. In doing so, the Bulldogs became the first seven-seed to ever win the Big South Women’s Basketball Championships. Major and Dengokl were both recognized following the tournament with All-Tournament honors and Dengokl was awarded the program’s second-straight MVP award.
UNC Asheville closed out the season as the 16-seed in the Stockton (Ca.) Regional of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament. The Bulldogs played top-seeded South Carolina in the first round of the tournament and despite a strong start, ultimately bowed out.
Major and fellow senior KJ Weaver were both named to the Big South All-Conference teams with Major picking up her second-straight first-team honor. Major became just the fourth UNC Asheville women’s basketball player to earn multiple Big South first-team plaudits. Major was also named to the conference’s All-Academic Team.
During the season several players permanently etched their names in the UNC Asheville record book. Senior guards Tianna Knuckles and Chatori Major became the 105th and 106th women’s basketball players in conference history to eclipse the 1,000 career point mark. Knuckles ended her playing career with 1,129 career points, the 10th-most all-time in program history and sixth-most in Asheville’s NCAA Division I era. Major ended her career with 1,116 career points, the 12th-most by a Bulldog all-time and eighth-most in the Division I era. As a junior during the 2015-16 season, Knuckles set the school record for most three-pointers in a single season with 73. It was a mark that had stood for over 25 years. During the 2016-17 campaign, Major then broke the record and set a new standard with 78 three-pointers. Fellow senior KJ Weaver also etched her name in the record book as she ended her career with 747 rebounds, sixth-most by a UNC Asheville women’s basketball player and fourth-most in the NCAA Division I era. Weaver was the 108th Big South Conference women’s basketball player to eclipse the 500-rebound plateau and then became the 74th player in league history to bring down 600 rebounds and the 50th player to eclipse 700 rebounds. Weaver also finished her career in the top-five in program history with 157 career blocks.
The 2015-16 season saw the Bulldogs post the biggest turnaround season in NCAA Division I women’s basketball, finishing the year with an overall record of 26-7 following a 9-22 season the year before.
Asheville hosted many decorated Bulldogs as a part of the 2015-16 campaign that paved the way to Asheville’s success on and off the court. Chatori Major earned Big South Conference Player of the Year and Conference Tournament MVP honors, along with teammate Tianna Knuckles, who received Big South Second Team All-Conference honors as well as being named an All-Tournament team selection. Paige Love earned Big South All-Academic team honors and was recognized as the first student-athlete to receive the University’s William and Ida Friday Award for Service to Community.
The 2015-16 season was a record-breaking year for the Bulldogs in many ways. After being picked to finish eighth of ten teams in the league’s preseason poll, they began the year by matching the best start in school history (9-1) on their way to program-high regular season wins (26) and conference wins (16).  Kirkpatrick also led the Bulldogs to the program’s first ever Big South Conference Regular Season Title, a Big South Conference Tournament Championship and an NCAA first round appearance.
In 2014-15, the Bulldogs finished 9-22 but saw 10 of those losses come by a single-digit margin, including six coming by just three points or less.
Prior to coming to Asheville, Petersen was at Florida State for six seasons, including two years as a graduate assistant. He was FSU’s head manager for four years prior to his graduate work. In his six years with FSU, the Noles went to five NCAA Tournaments, including the Elite Eight in 2010.
As a graduate assistant with the Seminoles, Petersen’s responsibilities included directing the scout team, assisting with video, helping with team travel and official visits plus aid skill development and individual workouts. Petersen also helped run Florida State’s women’s basketball camp while he was in Tallahassee.
A native of Abernathy, Texas, Petersen moved to Tallahassee before his senior year of high school and graduated from Godby High School. He earned his B.S. degree in accounting and finance in 2012 and his master’s degree in sports management at FSU in the spring of 2014.
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Through the first three years that Petersen has been on head coach Brenda Kirkpatrick’s staff in Asheville, they have taken the program to new heights and set a new standard. That includes going from winning 9 games in 2014-15 to winning 45 games in just the last two campaigns while capturing back-to-back Big South Conference Tournament crowns, two NCAA Tournament berths and one Big South Conference regular-season title.
During Petersen’s three years in Asheville, six Bulldogs have earned All-Big South Conference honorees, including 2015-16 league Player of the Year Chatori Major. Additionally, four players have earned Big South Championship All-Tournament honors with Major and Sonora Dengokl being named Most Valuable Player in 2016 and 2017.
While the 2016-17 campaign proved special, it also brought about its own unique challenges. The Bulldogs finished the year with a 19-15 record that included an impressive finish and UNC Asheville’s second-straight Big South Conference Championship crown and NCAA Tournament berth. The 19-15 record marked just the seventh time in program history that UNC Asheville women’s basketball finished with a positive record.
Tabbed as the league’s preseason favorite to claim the regular-season crown, the Bulldogs started the season well enough, winning four of their first five games. As the calendar turned to conference play, the Bulldogs lost key players to injury, forcing the staff to make changes to personnel and game strategies while asking players to expand their rolls. Despite going 9-9 in Big South play during the regular season, the changes and growth paid off in spades as the Bulldogs closed out the 2016-17 campaign winning eight of their last 10 games. Included in that stretch were two wins to wrap up the regular season and then four wins in four days to claim the Big South Conference Championship title. It was the first time in league history that a team had won four games over four days to take home the title.
During the Big South Conference Championships stretch, the seventh-seeded Bulldogs won their first-round game over No. 10 seed Longwood and turned around the next day to knock of second-seeded Campbell in the quarterfinal round. During the semifinal round, Asheville defeated sixth-seeded Presbyterian and the Bulldogs then wrapped up the incredible stretch by toppling top-seeded Radford in the championship game, earning the league’s automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament for the second-straight season. In doing so, the Bulldogs became the first seven-seed to ever win the Big South Women’s Basketball Championships. Major and Dengokl were both recognized following the tournament with All-Tournament honors and Dengokl was awarded the program’s second-straight MVP award.
UNC Asheville closed out the season as the 16-seed in the Stockton (Ca.) Regional of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament. The Bulldogs played top-seeded South Carolina in the first round of the tournament and despite a strong start, ultimately bowed out.
Major and fellow senior KJ Weaver were both named to the Big South All-Conference teams with Major picking up her second-straight first-team honor. Major became just the fourth UNC Asheville women’s basketball player to earn multiple Big South first-team plaudits. Major was also named to the conference’s All-Academic Team.
During the season several players permanently etched their names in the UNC Asheville record book. Senior guards Tianna Knuckles and Chatori Major became the 105th and 106th women’s basketball players in conference history to eclipse the 1,000 career point mark. Knuckles ended her playing career with 1,129 career points, the 10th-most all-time in program history and sixth-most in Asheville’s NCAA Division I era. Major ended her career with 1,116 career points, the 12th-most by a Bulldog all-time and eighth-most in the Division I era. As a junior during the 2015-16 season, Knuckles set the school record for most three-pointers in a single season with 73. It was a mark that had stood for over 25 years. During the 2016-17 campaign, Major then broke the record and set a new standard with 78 three-pointers. Fellow senior KJ Weaver also etched her name in the record book as she ended her career with 747 rebounds, sixth-most by a UNC Asheville women’s basketball player and fourth-most in the NCAA Division I era. Weaver was the 108th Big South Conference women’s basketball player to eclipse the 500-rebound plateau and then became the 74th player in league history to bring down 600 rebounds and the 50th player to eclipse 700 rebounds. Weaver also finished her career in the top-five in program history with 157 career blocks.
The 2015-16 season saw the Bulldogs post the biggest turnaround season in NCAA Division I women’s basketball, finishing the year with an overall record of 26-7 following a 9-22 season the year before.
Asheville hosted many decorated Bulldogs as a part of the 2015-16 campaign that paved the way to Asheville’s success on and off the court. Chatori Major earned Big South Conference Player of the Year and Conference Tournament MVP honors, along with teammate Tianna Knuckles, who received Big South Second Team All-Conference honors as well as being named an All-Tournament team selection. Paige Love earned Big South All-Academic team honors and was recognized as the first student-athlete to receive the University’s William and Ida Friday Award for Service to Community.
The 2015-16 season was a record-breaking year for the Bulldogs in many ways. After being picked to finish eighth of ten teams in the league’s preseason poll, they began the year by matching the best start in school history (9-1) on their way to program-high regular season wins (26) and conference wins (16).  Kirkpatrick also led the Bulldogs to the program’s first ever Big South Conference Regular Season Title, a Big South Conference Tournament Championship and an NCAA first round appearance.
In 2014-15, the Bulldogs finished 9-22 but saw 10 of those losses come by a single-digit margin, including six coming by just three points or less.
Prior to coming to Asheville, Petersen was at Florida State for six seasons, including two years as a graduate assistant. He was FSU’s head manager for four years prior to his graduate work. In his six years with FSU, the Noles went to five NCAA Tournaments, including the Elite Eight in 2010.
As a graduate assistant with the Seminoles, Petersen’s responsibilities included directing the scout team, assisting with video, helping with team travel and official visits plus aid skill development and individual workouts. Petersen also helped run Florida State’s women’s basketball camp while he was in Tallahassee.
A native of Abernathy, Texas, Petersen moved to Tallahassee before his senior year of high school and graduated from Godby High School. He earned his B.S. degree in accounting and finance in 2012 and his master’s degree in sports management at FSU in the spring of 2014.
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Highlights || Women's Basketball || #9 UNC Asheville vs #1 High Point (Big South Tournament)
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