Just when Fiero was growing accustomed to a 9-to-5 life in the Twin Cities, her former basketball coach and mentor, Karen Stromme of Minnesota Duluth, called to tell Fiero the Bulldogs had an opening on their bench.

Three years later, Fiero has made a meteoric rise to head women's basketball coach at one of the top Division II programs in the country. Fiero, the former assistant who was named Stromme's replacement in July, makes her home head coaching debut at 6 p.m. tonight when the Bulldogs play Point Loma Nazarene as part of the American Family Insurance Classic.

But those who know her say the former Minnesota Miss Basketball is a rising star in the coaching ranks and someone who relishes proving doubters wrong. They cite a strong work ethic, discipline and organization fostered by her parents and nurtured through her small-town upbringing.

"Sue isn't comfortable unless she's uncomfortable," Stromme said. "She isn't the type to get complacent. When I think of leadership, I think of people who aren't afraid to go beyond their comfort zone, because that's what really drives us. Sue is that kind of person."

Parents Carolyn and Terry Fiero had sent a clipboard with a smattering of childhood scribblings. Fiero's parents came across it while rummaging through the family home and thought their daughter -- the new head coach -- should have it.

Sue Fiero had the clipboard since age 5 or 6, when she toted it to her father's boys basketball practices at Goodhue, a farm town of about 600 near Rochester, Minn.

"I was Daddy's little girl, that's for sure," said Fiero, the middle child of three in the Fiero family. "I wasn't a manager or anything like that. I pretty much just ran around at practice and pretended to help out, but I don't think I helped out that much."

Fiero was a "towner," but she was accustomed to life on the dairy farms of Southeastern Minnesota. Part of her country education was learning how to milk cows.

But her calling was sports -- so much so that she wore out the netting on the backyard basketball hoop, and her neighbor's basketball hoop as well. She also played volleyball and softball in high school, helping the Wildcats' basketball and softball teams reach the state tournament her senior year in 1995-96.

Fiero's final prep year was also highlighted by her winning the Minnesota Miss Basketball award. She was swarmed by college recruiters and had Division I interest. But after showing initial interest, Minnesota backed off, making Division II look all the more appealing for Fiero, the daughter of two former teachers who was a straight-A student in high school.

"I wanted to stay relatively close to my family, and I wanted to get a good education," Fiero said. "My parents are amazing, and anyone who has ever met them would tell you the same thing. They were always so positive and supportive, and that's the way I try to be."

Fiero was sold on UMD after meeting the team and seeing the city on her official visit. Stromme had landed the third Miss Basketball winner of her tenure.

"Watching her play in high school was like watching a woman among girls," Stromme recalled. "But what stuck out the most was how she made all the other players around her better.

"Sue was recruited by schools from all over the place, but I will always remember how she took the time to return our phone calls and to fill out our questionnaire. Some highly touted players wait to see which schools show the most interest in them, but Sue took an active part in her life from the get-go."

Fiero showcased her versatility from 1996 through 2000 at UMD, where she was Kodak All-America honorable mention as a senior. Fiero, a 5-foot-11 guard/forward, ranks 10th in UMD career scoring and is one of two Bulldogs to top 1,000 career points and 400 assists.

"I think the most impressive thing about that first year was how competitive Sue was even as a freshman," Holquist said. "She had that attitude where it didn't matter who she was going against. She was ready to compete. And with her, it wasn't just a sometime thing. She brought that mentality every single day."

Fiero's first big move as head coach was promoting Rachael Otto, who helped North Dakota State win three NCAA Division II national championships in the 1990s, to full-time assistant coach.

"I don't even want to know how many hours we put in," Fiero said. "Just like with anything else, the first time you do something you want to spend more time on it to make sure you've got everything right.

"I think it's easier to put in those kind of hours when you're really passionate about something, but at the same time, it's basketball and I want our players to have fun. That's important, too."

Fiero has stressed ballhandling skills in practice. She wants everyone on the floor to be able to push the ball upcourt, but many things are similar to Stromme's tenure.

"It's been a really smooth transition," said Laura Sylvester, a UMD senior guard/forward from Alborn. "All the players have a real familiarity with Sue. I remember going to UMD games and watching her when I was in high school, so it's neat that now she's the coach."

Teammate Jenna Reinemann agreed. The freshman committed to UMD thinking Stromme would be the coach, but has no qualms when she found out Fiero got the job.

"At first it was a little scary not knowing if Sue would get the job, but it's worked out perfectly," Reinemann said. "When I found out Sue got the job, I was just as excited as when I knew Karen was the coach. I love them both."

From her days chasing her father around at practice, to her days being a smart, heady player on the court, Fiero seemed destined to be a head coach. But after serving as a UMD graduate assistant coach in 2000-01, a position she couldn't keep doing on a long-term basis, so the then-24-year-old took a job in the Twin Cites.

Fiero got her big break in August of 2002 after Stromme's brother and longtime assistant coach, David, joined the Minnesota Gophers women's basketball team, and Fiero was hired.

"'I'm still in shock," Fiero said at the time. "How many times does a 24-year-old get an opportunity to work with a coach like Karen and with a program like UMD's?"

The job title, "Sue Fiero, Bulldogs women's basketball coach," still seems surreal to Fiero. It might not sound as prestigious as being an environmental health and safety engineer, but to her, it's a better fit.

"When you're 24, you're not really sure what you're going to do with the rest of your life. I didn't really have a plan," Fiero said. "Now to be here looking back on that is amazing. Every day I feel lucky and fortunate to be in the position I'm in. Sometimes, I don't even believe it."

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