Owens hires former Denver assistant Werntz as women’s coach
Owens Community College turned to former Denver assistant Lindsay Werntz to lead its women’s basketball program, a hire that gives the Express a coach with 24 years of collegiate experience. The move comes after Owens finished fifth last season, a finish that made a fresh voice more than a routine change.
Werntz’s background is the part that jumps off the page. Division I experience does not automatically guarantee wins in the NJCAA, but it does change the pitch a junior-college program can make to recruits. A coach who has worked in a major-college environment is better positioned to talk about player development, film habits, practice structure and what it takes to get ready for the next level. That matters at Owens, where the women’s program is trying to present itself as more than a stopover.
For an NJCAA roster, coaching hires often shape the entire identity of the team. Werntz inherits a program that needs to decide how it wants to play and which types of guards and post players it wants to chase. A résumé that includes Denver suggests Owens is looking for someone who can bring a more polished approach to teaching and recruiting, not just someone to hold the clipboard.
That is where the ambition of the hire becomes clear. Owens is not simply replacing a head coach; it is signaling that it wants a broader recruiting reach and a higher developmental ceiling. In junior college basketball, players are often choosing a program because they believe it can help them move on to four-year opportunities, and Werntz’s multi-decade collegiate background gives the Express a stronger sales pitch in that market. The right coach can make the difference between filling a roster and building one that can compete deeper into the conference schedule.
Owens’ athletics site already lists Lindsay Werntz as the women’s basketball head coach, making the change official within the program. For the Express, the hire is a bet that experience at Denver and across 24 years in the collegiate ranks can translate into a sharper identity, better talent acquisition and a higher standard in the NJCAA landscape.