LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION congratulating Karen Haag of the College of Saint
Rose upon the occasion of being named the recipient of the 2009 Most
Inspirational Coach Award by the WBCA

WHEREAS, It is incumbent upon the people of the State of New York to
recognize those individuals within our midst who have contributed great-
ly to the quality of our lives by providing exceptional leadership and
commitment to our youth; and
WHEREAS, It is acknowledged that athletic competition enhances the
moral and physical development of the young people of this State,
preparing them for the future by instilling in them the value of team-
work, encouraging a standard of healthy living, imparting a desire for
success and developing a sense of fair play and competition; and,
further, that excellence and success in competitive sports can be
achieved only through strenuous practice, team play and team spirit, all
of which actions are nurtured by dedicating coaching; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern and in full accord with its long-
standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to congratu-
late Karen Haag of the College of Saint Rose upon the occasion of being
named the recipient of the 2009 Most Inspirational Coach Award by the
Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA); and
WHEREAS, In January 2009, Karen Haag of the College of Saint Rose was
honored by the WBCA as the winner of its 2009 Most Inspirational Coach
Award for NCAA Division II mentors; following the 2006-07 season, she
was named the recipient of the Russell Athletic/WBCA Region 1 Coach of
the Year Award; and
WHEREAS, Now in her eighth year as head coach of the College of Saint
Rose women's basketball team, Karen Haag has molded the Golden Knights
into a team poised to stake a claim as an elite NCAA program; and
WHEREAS, Achieving her 200th lifetime collegiate coaching win with a
triumph against non-conference Adelphi back in November 2007, Karen Haag
notched her 100th career victory as the Women's Basketball Coach at
Saint Rose in January 2009, with a 84-79 Northeast-10 Conference win
against UMass Lowell; and
WHEREAS, Karen Haag's Golden Knights' teams have averaged nearly 17
wins per year over the past four seasons and made two NCAA Tournament
appearances in the last three seasons; her Saint Rose teams have made
five straight appearances in the Northeast-10 Conference Tournament; and
WHEREAS, Karen Haag's head coaching career has spanned 18 years at
three institutions, including stints at SUNY Delhi and Wilkes Universi-
ty, in addition to Saint Rose; she previously served as an assistant
coach at the University at Albany (1988-89) and Ithaca College (1987-
88); previously she served as girls' basketball coach at Oneonta High
School; and
WHEREAS, A star collegiate basketball player in her own right, Karen
Haag played at Oneonta State and is among its all-time leaders in scor-
ing, assists and steals; she was the team's most valuable player in both
her junior and senior years; and
WHEREAS, Garnering All-Conference accolades from the SUNY Athletic
Conference as a senior, Karen Haag was the first female basketball play-
er inducted into the Oneonta State Athletic Hall of Fame; and
WHEREAS, In September 2007, Karen Haag received the Make a Difference
Award from the Susan G. Komen Foundation, an honor given to an outstand-
ing individual who has made a difference in the lives of women facing
breast cancer; she is also the recipient of the Foundation's Cameo Award
in 2004, and garnered the Ultimate Drive Award in 2003; and

WHEREAS, In addition to her coaching responsibilities at the College
of Saint Rose, Karen Haag is in charge of scheduling and, in her role as
the Athletic Department's senior woman administrator, also serves as the
advisor to the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee; and
WHEREAS, A strong advocate of community service, Karen Haag is a
co-founder of Camp Brave Hearts, a series of retreats designed for women
who have been diagnosed with cancer; the camp affords participants an
opportunity to learn new skills, increase self-esteem and confidence,
and address the risks and fears women face after cancer treatment; and
WHEREAS, In addition, Karen Haag is also involved with "Coaches vs.
Cancer" program for the American Cancer Society; she also served on the
Wilkes-Barre YMCA Board of Directors and numerous other community
service activities; and
WHEREAS, Karen Haag graduated from Oneonta State in 1984 with a degree
in English and secondary education; she also holds a master's degree in
curriculum planning and development from the University at Albany; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
congratulate Karen Haag of the College of Saint Rose upon the occasion
of being named the recipient of the 2009 Most Inspirational Coach Award
by the WBCA; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to College of Saint Rose Women's Basketball Coach Karen Haag.