Franciscan University Barons Athletics

The 2024-25 season will be her second at the helm for the Barons.

The 2023-24 season started off well as the Barons would win the Nan Nichols Classic at Wooster with a pair of wins. Madison Doan was named Tournament MVP and Mikayla Doan was named to the All-Tournament Team. The Barons would then pick up a pair of wins over Thiel in Coach Spoelman's first season as Head Coach.

The Franciscan Athletic Department is proud to announce that Iliana Spoelman has been named Head Women's Basketball Coach in August of 2023. She served as an Assistant Coach over the last four seasons after a successful playing career for the Barons. Spoelman will be the fifth Head Coach in program history.  

As an assistant, Spoelman played a role in the Baron's recruiting efforts, organizing on-campus recruiting visits, conducting video scouting reports for the team, assisting in guard development, and assisted with creating all media graphics for the women's basketball team's social media accounts among other duties.

"We are excited to have Coach Spoelman at the helm for the upcoming 2023-24 season." said Assistant Athletic Director Alexis Basil. "I have worked with her as part of the women's basketball staff over the last few seasons, and I know that she has the skills to lead this program for many successful years to come.

As well as her coaching duties, She will continue her role as Assistant Director of Alumni & Constituent Relations on campus. 

"I am very excited and blessed for the opportunity to serve, develop, and foster the players as the next Head Coach. The mission of Franciscan University and the basketball program has enlightened my mind and is absorbed in my heart and for that I will always be grateful."
Head Women's Basketball Coach - Iliana Spoelman

Before moving to the collegiate ranks Spoelman was the coach at her alma mater, Salpointe Catholic High School, and AAU team, The Tucson Rattlers, in Tucson, Arizona from 2016-2019.

The form/er Iliana Gonzales, now Spoelman, had a successful playing career on the floor for the Barons. She is second all-time in scoring at Franciscan with 1176 points all-time in her only three-year career. She is also fifth all-time in steals (133), sixth in rebounding (321), and eighth in assists (124).

She holds the record for most points in a game for dropping 33 points against, now PAC foe, Grove City in a game in 2015. Iliana was the AMCC Newcomer of the Year for the 2013-14 season and earned All-AMCC honors in each of her three seasons. She is the lone Lady Baron to receive First Team All-Conference honors, as she did in her final season.  

Spoelman graduated from Franciscan with a bachelor's degree in communications and is currently pursuing her MBA. Spoelman spent the last 4 years as a Residence Director where she was responsible for managing, recruiting, supervising, and evaluating her staff of resident assistants as well as overseeing community development within the hall that addresses the intellectual, spiritual, interpersonal, recreational, and social needs of the students. 

She resides in Steubenville with her husband Aaron.

Year by Year Results at Franciscan