Auburn, ME - The Mustang faithful will recognize two familiar faces in Kirk Hall this season. Former Mustang players and teammates, Natalie Thurber and Cagney O'Brien, will be on the sideline as a member of the women's basketball coaching staff.
Thurber had an amazing playing career for the Mustangs. In her final season, which she served as captain, Thurber was recognized as Yankee Conference All-Conference, and as a USCAA Honorable Mention All-American. During her three years, she helped lead the Mustangs to an overall record of 86-8. Her teams won three straight conference regular season and tournament championships, and each year advanced all the way to the USCAA National Championship Game. Thurber was a member of the 2018-19 team that won the programs second USCAA National Championship. Most recently, Thurber was recognized as a member of the CM Athletics All-Decade Women's Basketball Team.
O'Brien was also a member of the 2018-19 USCAA National Championship team. While at CM, O'Brien was a key member of teams that went a perfect 32-0 in YSCC regular season play. Those teams also won back-to-back regular season and conference tournament championships. After graduating from CM, O'Brien transferred to William Peace University where she recently graduated with a bachelor's degree in Business Analytics. While at WPU, O'Brien was a student assistant coach for the women's basketball team, and helped the Pacers reach the NCAA Division III National Tournament.
Both O'Brien and Thurber serve the Lewiston-Auburn area as coaches for Maine Basketball Club (MBC).
According to Head Women's Basketball Coach, Andrew Morong, "We are so excited that Natalie and Cagney are joining us this season. As Mustang fans will remember, they are both extremely passionate and driven when it comes to CM basketball. It has been a pleasure watching them both grow as a coaches in the MBC program. Natalie will help Coach Kristina Blais with the development of our perimeter players, and take the lead in teaching all of our newcomers our pressure defense system. Cagney will assist Coach Abby Neilsen and myself working with our posts and forwards."
Thurber commented, "My time at CM was nothing short of an amazing experience. This school is my home, my family. CM helped to give me the voice and the confidence that I didn't even know I had. I look forward to helping cultivate that in the people in our program. I am very thankful for Coach Morong to have invited me back to continue to be a part of a very successful program and I am excited to be coaching a very talented group of young women."
O'Brien added, "This is an amazing opportunity for me to further my basketball career under Coach Morong and to learn more about the game from him from a different perspective. I am beyond excited to be back to work for the program at CM beside my former teammates Natalie and Kristina along with Coach Abby Neilson. I cannot wait to help coach all the talented women and help the program continue to grow."
