Carla Fles
Women's Basketball Coach
Assistant Sports Information Director
Phone:
616-222-1425 (Press 4 for Coaches Directory and then 5 for Carla Fles)
Email:
Carla_Fles@cornerstone.edu
Carla Fles enters her ninth season as Head Basketball Coach of the Golden Eagles. In the last eight years as head coach, she has compiled an overall record of 193-74 and a .723 winning percentage. She has led her team to three WHAC championships, five WHAC Tournament Championships, one appearance at the National Tournament, three Sweet 16 finishes at the national tournament and a runner-up national championship.
Fles was named WHAC Coach of the Year twice in 2004 and 2000 and was named regional coach of the year by the WBCA in 2004. She was also named BCAM (Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan) College Coach of the Year in 2002. She has coached eleven NAIA All-Americans, eleven NAIA Academic All-Americans, one WHAC Player-of-the-Year, and three WHAC Newcomers-of-the-Year.
Prior to coaching at Cornerstone, Fles was an assistant coach for her alma mater, Central Michigan University . She coached at CMU for one season before being offered the head coaching position at CU and the opportunity to return "home". "I have always dreamed of being a head coach and what better place than my home town of Grand Rapids to fulfill that dream," said Fles.
Fles also brings a tremendous amount of playing experience to this program. Before coaching at CMU, she played professionally overseas and in the inaugural season of the American Basketball League. In 1997-98 she played for Olivaris/Ceres, a first division professional team in . She helped lead her team to its first ever national championship and was named the tournament MVP.
Fles played with Athletes in Action, the athletic division of Campus Crusade for Christ, in 1997 on a tour to . She also played with the group in late 1995 against Division I schools and in 1993 on a tour to Moscow . She was drafted as an alternate for the Colorado Explosion with the ABL and played with the New England Blizzard for 10 weeks as a replacement player. "Basketball has taken me all over the world to places I never would have dreamed of going," said Fles.
Fles has left her mark in the record books at CMU. She was inducted into Central Michigan's Hall of Fame in 2004. She was a four year starter (1989-93) while averaging 13.9 points and 7.9 rebounds. She was a three-time All-Conference pick (twice 1st team, once 2nd and was also a three-time academic All-Conference selection. She ranks 1st on their career list in blocks (104), second in scoring average (13.9) and points scored (1,539) and 4th in rebounds (880). Fles graduated from Central in 1994 with a Bachelor of Science in Education.
Fles is a graduate of Grand Rapids South Christian High School where she lead the team to a 28-0 record and Class B State Championship in 1988. She was named runner-up for the Miss Michigan Basketball Award.
Carla is married to Ron Fles, he is currently studying to take the bar exam and is a recent graduate of Cooley Law School. They have a daughter Ellie who was born in January, 2006.
