Mariah Dunham is in her fourth season as head coach of the Finlandia University women’s basketball team. She is also the Senior Women’s Administrator and Assistant A.D. for Wellness. Dunham is 28-30.
Over the last two seasons, Finlandia has gone 21-12 and won the 2019-20 ACAA Championship, the first conference title in program history. The Lions enter the 2021-22 season with a school record 15-game home winning streak.
Dunham has coached three all-conference, 20 conference all-academic and three conference all-tournament selection. In addition she had the 2018-19 ACAA Rookie of the Year (Katie Lundeen) and the 2019-20 ACAA Tournament MVP (Carsyn Osterman).
Dunham comes to Finlandia after two years with AAU Level UP Express Basketball. She started the program in March, 2017 with two teams (23 athletes) and grew it to five teams (45) athletes in 2018.
Dunham was a four-year starter at Watertown High School (Wis.). She helped the Goslings win four regional championships and as a sophomore they reached the Division I State Championship game. Dunham was A.P. State Player of the Year as a senior and is the school’s all-time leading scorer with 1684 points.
Dunham earned three letters as a student-athlete at the University of Wisconsin. As a freshman she helped the Badgers reach the WNIT championship game.
Dunham played her senior year at Northern Michigan University. She averaged 14.1 points and 5.2 rebounds a game and helped the Wildcats advance to the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional Semi-Finals. Dunham was a GLIAC second team and earned a B.S. in Communication Studies.
Following graduation, Dunham was a volunteer coach at Finlandia as well as coaching girl’s and boy’s basketball at Baraga High School (Mich.). She was an assistant coach at Lake Superior State (2013-14) and Northern Michigan (2014-16). During Dunham’s tenure at NMU, the Wildcats qualified for the GLIAC Tournament both years.
Dunham is finishing up a MS degree in Public Administration from Northern Michigan. She resides in Houghton.
