Bill Fennelly Wife
Meet Bill Fennelly Wife Deb Fennelly! Coach Bill Fennelly is the head coach for the Iowa Cyclones Women’s basketball team at Iowa State University. He previously served as head coach at Toledo and assistant coach at Notre Dame, Fresno State, and William Penn.
Deb Fennelly
Bill Fennelly’s beautiful wife (since 1982), Deb Fennelly, was born Deborah Lue on April 15, 1959. She is a teacher who has worked as an educator at the Ames Community Schools and has been actively involved in various local organizations such as Mary Greeley Hospital and Friendship Ark, serving on their board of directors.
In addition, she generously donates her time to volunteer for numerous community initiatives.
Deb’s family consists of her sons Billy, who resides in Ames with his wife Lyndsey and their children Will and Callie, and Steven, who lives in Cedar Falls with his wife Andrea and their children, Camden and Chandler.
Bill Fennelly Sons
Billy Fennelly
Billy is married to Lyndsey Medders, a former standout player for the Cyclones at Iowa State University, where she holds the second position in the all-time assists record; they have two beautiful children, Will and Callie.
Billy Fennelly, now in his 12th season as an assistant coach and 14th overall with the Iowa State Cyclones women’s basketball program, has earned recognition as one of the Top 50 Most Impactful Assistants in women’s college basketball. With nearly two decades of experience in the women’s basketball realm, Fennelly’s expertise has significantly contributed to the sustained success of the Cyclones and his previous coaching stints.
Notably, Fennelly’s role as recruiting coordinator at Iowa State has yielded decorated classes, with five recruiting classes in the last decade ranked in the Top 25. His efforts have attracted top-tier talents like Lexi Donarski and Emily Ryan, who were instrumental in Iowa State’s success. Additionally, Fennelly’s defensive scouting prowess has bolstered the team’s performance, with players like Donarski earning accolades such as the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year under his guidance.
Iowa State’s rise as a formidable program under Fennelly’s tenure is evident, marked by nine NCAA Tournament appearances and a record-breaking 28-win season in 2021-22, which saw the Cyclones return to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2010. Fennelly’s impact extends beyond the court, as he has developed numerous student-athletes into WNBA draft picks, including Bridget Carleton and Ashley Joens, both of whom achieved remarkable success during their time at Iowa State. Before returning to his alma mater, Fennelly gained valuable experience working with esteemed coaches like Joe McKeown at Northwestern and Brenda Frese at Maryland.
Steven Fennelly
Steven Fennelly, entering his fourth year as an assistant coach with the University of Northern Iowa Panthers for the 2020-2021 season, plays a pivotal role in coaching the team’s post players, including standout athlete Megan Maahs. Additionally, he serves as the recruiting coordinator and contributes to the day-to-day operations of the women’s basketball program. Despite a promising 2019-2020 season that saw the Panthers secure victories against three Power-five schools and historic wins over Iowa, Iowa State, and Drake in the same season, their postseason prospects were cut short due to unforeseen circumstances.
Before joining UNI, Fennelly spent time coaching at various institutions, including the University of Idaho and Cal State Fullerton. At Idaho, he coached post players while also handling recruitment and video coordination responsibilities during the 2016-17 season. Prior to that, he served as an assistant coach at Cal State Fullerton from 2013 to 2016, gaining valuable experience in collegiate basketball coaching.
Fennelly’s journey in collegiate basketball began at Iowa State University, where he held roles as head video coordinator and head student manager. Working alongside his father, Bill Fennelly, who was the head coach at ISU, Fennelly contributed to the team’s successes, including multiple NCAA Tournament appearances.
Originally from Ames, Iowa, Fennelly holds degrees in communications from Iowa State University and has a family with his wife, Andrea, including their two children, Camden and Chandler.
Bill Fennelly Education
Background A native of Davenport, Iowa, Fennelly acquired an extensive background in coaching before being introduced as Iowa State’s sixth head coach on July 10, 1995. He went 166-53 (.758) in seven years as head coach at the University of Toledo, and still ranks as the Mid-American Conference’s winningest coach by percentage (.758). Fennelly compiled six, 20-win seasons and six postseason tournament berths at Toledo.
He coached the Rockets to second-, third- and fifth-place WNIT finishes, three NCAA Tournament appearances, and is a member of Toledo’s Varsity “T” Hall of Fame. Fennelly spent 12 years as an assistant coach, including stops at William Penn University (Oskaloosa, Iowa), Fresno State and Notre Dame. He graduated from William Penn with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and economics in 1979.
Bill Fennelly Iowa State
Since his appointment as the head coach of the women’s basketball team at Iowa State University on July 10, 1995, Fennelly has steered the program to significant success. At the time of his hiring, Iowa State had experienced only five winning seasons in the previous 22 years. However, under Fennelly’s guidance, the team has made remarkable strides, earning 17 appearances in the NCAA Tournament as of the 2016–17 season.
Notable achievements include reaching the Elite Eight in 1999 and 2009, as well as securing Sweet Sixteen berths in 2000, 2001, and 2010. Additionally, Iowa State has been a prominent fixture in the Associated Press national poll, spending a total of 34 weeks in the Top 10. Recognizing his contributions, Iowa State extended Fennelly’s contract through 2019 in 2007, with the agreement valued at $10.6 million.
Under Fennelly’s leadership, attendance at Iowa State women’s basketball games has soared. What was once a modest turnout has transformed into nearly 10,000 attendees per game in the 2010s. A significant milestone was reached in 2004 when Iowa State witnessed its first-ever sellout during a WNIT and NIT doubleheader against Saint Joseph’s. The 2011–12 season marked another high point, with Iowa State averaging an attendance of 10,125, ranking third in the nation behind Tennessee and Louisville.
Fennelly’s coaching prowess has garnered widespread recognition, earning him accolades such as being a finalist for the Naismith Coach of the Year Award in 2001, 2002, and 2005. The Women’s Basketball Coaches Association also honored him as the District 5 Coach of the Year in 1999 and 2005. In addition, Fennelly was the runner-up for the Associated Press Women’s Coach of the Year award in 1998, coming in behind Pat Summitt of Tennessee.
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