CHICAGO, Ill., -- A new era of North Park Women's Basketball is set to tip off this winter. Following the hiring of Kira Mowen as the program's 12th head coach, the Vikings enter the 2026-27 season focused on building a foundation that can lead the program back towards future contention in the years to come. Mowen's track record has a history of rebuilding programs and developing student-athletes, highlighted by successful head coaching stints at Millersville University and Knox College. At Knox, she guided the Prairie Fire to their first conference championship and NCAA Tournament appearance in 2023.
The Vikings' record a season ago may not have reflected where the program hopes to be, but for Mowen, the first steps of the rebuilding process have little to do with the standings and everything to do with the people in the gym each day –
"The main focus is on the current roster of players and building relationships with them," Mowen said. "When you talk about buy-in, that's huge for any new coach… things are going to be different and expectations are going to be set. For me, it's learning this team and figuring out how I can push them to be their best while teaching them what North Park basketball needs to look like".
That mindset has shaped the Vikings' approach throughout the offseason and preseason practices. While implementing new systems and expectations take time, Mowen believes the returning players have embraced the challenge and have already begun changing the direction of the program.
"This fall, our players have been the catalysts in changing our view of what it takes to win. How much we eat, sleep, breathe, and think about basketball has been a huge change, and I think the returning players have done a great job of moving the needle in the right direction."
Mowen acknowledges there will be challenges ahead competing in a premier Division III conference, noting that a program turnaround does not happen overnight. Instead, the Vikings' focus this year is on growth, with Mowen saying: "success for us starts with growth. We are not going to bite off the head of the dragon in year one. Small victories are still victories. Those might arrive on the court, in the classroom, or how we build our culture every day. This senior class has an opportunity to lay the foundation for the players who come after them."
The culture shift has been a primary talking point within the team since Mowen's hiring in May of this year, with her vision centering on accountability, consistency, and effort in hopes of building a commitment from current and future players to do the hard work required for long-term success. Mowen believes that "there is no replacement for hard work… attitude and effort are things I don't want to coach. Every day we should be showing up ready to give our best with the best attitude possible."
North Park opens the 2026-27 season on Friday, November 6th at Eureka College before returning to Carlson Gymnasium for its home opener against the Illinois Institute of Technology on Tuesday, November 10th. The road ahead will not be easy, but Mowen believes the team's identity is already beginning to take shape. By the end of the season, she hopes those around the program recognize something that extends beyond the win-loss column, saying, "I hope our players, alumni, fans, and everyone around the program can see the growth and the changes we have made. I want people to see more of a 'no-quit' attitude. We know difficult days are head, but we won't roll over. We're going to have more pride for the name on the front of our jersey."
