Tim Bernero, Head Coach

Tim Bernero begins his sixth season as head coach in 2008-09 (71-57, 5 years).  He is Carthage’s second all-time winningest women’s basketball coach, trailing only Diane Mizerka with 116 wins between 1968 and 1980.  Bernero, who was named interim coach in September 2003, assumed permanent duties in February 2004 after serving seven years at Carthage as an assistant men’s basketball coach.  During that time, he helped the Red Men compile a 136-49 record with three CCIW championships, three appearances in the NCAA Division III Men’s Basketball Championship and third-place national finish in 2002.  Before starting at Carthage in the 1996-97 academic year, Bernero spent nine years as an assistant men’s basketball coach, two years at Elmhurst College (1995-96), three years at North Park University (1992-94) and four years at the University of Chicago (1988-91).

A native of Buffalo Grove, Ill., Bernero graduated from Lake Forest College in 1987 with a bachelor's in business.  As a member of the men’s basketball team, he is the Foresters’ seventh all-time leading scorer.  He earned his master's in business administration from North Park in 1993.  Bernero begins a four-year term on the NCAA Division III Women’s Basketball Championship Committee in 2008.  He and his wife, Rachel (Pearson) Bernero, live in Kenosha, Wis., with their daughter, Eleanor (age 11), and son, Anthony (age 7).  Rachel, a former women’s basketball player at North Park University and a four-time All-CCIW honoree between 1991 and 1994, holds CCIW records for career points (1,102), career field goals (145), career rebounds (680), season points (334 in 1994), season field goals (145 in 1994) points in a game (40 vs. Illinois Wesleyan University in 1994) and field goals in a game (16 vs. Illinois Wesleyan in 1994).

Telephone: 262-551-5713

E-Mail: tbernero@carthage.edu

Erika Buchholz, Graduate Assistant Coach

Erika Buchholz will serve as a graduate assistant coach in 2008-09 after a four-year playing career with the Lady Reds.  A native of Lisle, Ill., Buchholz played for Carthage 2005 to 2008 and was named second-team All-CCIW in 2008.  Buchholz finished her career ranked 21st all-time for scoring (907 points), fourth for three-point field goals (130) and second for three-point field-goal attempts (464).  She set a Carthage season record in 2007 with an .861 free-throw percentage.  Buchholz graduated in 2008 with a bachelor’s in exercise and sport science.

Casey Thousand, Assistant Coach

Casey Thousand begins her third year as an assistant coach in 2008-09, as well as her third year as Carthage’s assistant intramurals director.  A native of Barneveld, Wis., Thousand served as an assistant coach at MacMurray College in 2006.  She attended Lakeland College, where she was a three-year starter on the women’s basketball team.  All three of Thousand’s teams won Lake Michigan Conference championships and made appearances in the NCAA Division III Women’s Basketball Championship.  She was also a three-year member of the Lakeland golf women’s golf team.   Thousand graduated in 2004 with a bachelor’s in sports and facility management, and she is currently completing work on her master’s in education from Carthage.

John Weiser, Radio "Voice of the Red Men and the Lady Reds"

John Weiser begins his eighth season in 2008-09 as the “Voice of the Red Men” and his fifth season as the “Voice of the Lady Reds” on WRJN-AM Radio in Racine, Wis.  Weiser is a familiar voice in the Kenosha-Racine sporting community, doing play-by-play for local high school football and basketball since 1990.  He’s been with WRJN-AM since 1999.  A native of Kenosha, Wis., and a graduate of St. Joseph High School, Weiser did cable access television play-by-play for the Midwest League Kenosha Twins from 1988-1992 and radio for the Kenosha Kroakers between 1994 and 1995.  He is also the host of All-Star Bowling on WPXE TV out in Milwaukee and has served as afternoon drive co-host on ESPN radio, also in Milwaukee.  In addition to his radio duties, Weiser is the recruitment coordinator for the Carthage College School of Professional Studies and coach of the school’s club bowling team.  Weiser received his bachelor’s in business administration from Marian College (Wis.) in 1992.  He and his wife, Gina, and their 12-year old daughter, Rebecca, reside in Waterford, Wis.

Rachel (Newman) Schlesinger, Part-Time Assistant Coach

Rachel (Newman) Schlesinger begins her fifth year as a part-time assistant coach in 2008-09 after serving as a graduate assistant coach in 2004.  A native of Madison, Wis., Schlesinger had a four-year playing career with the Lady Reds from 2000-03, and she finished her playing career as Carthage’s seventh-leading scorer with 1,364 points.  Schlesinger was named honorable mention Kodak/Women’s Basketball Coaches Association All-American and first-team All-CCIW in 2003, first-team All-CCIW in 2002 and third-team all-conference in 2001.  She was also named CCIW all-academic in both 2001 and 2002.  Schlesinger graduated from Carthage in 2003 with a bachelor’s in exercise and sport science, and she received her master’s in education, also from Carthage, in 2007.  She teaches at Clearview Elementary School in Waukegan, Ill.