Coaching Changes in Division I Women’s College Basketball

The 2025 offseason for Division I women’s college basketball has been quite eventful, with 61 programs making head coaching changes. It seemed like a significant coaching shake-up was on the horizon when Joy Lee McNelis announced her retirement from Southern Miss, closely followed by Robin Pingeton’s decision to step down at Missouri State. Missouri State became one of three Southeastern Conference teams bringing in new coaches for the 2025-26 season, as Pingeton gears up for a new chapter at Wisconsin.

Looking ahead to 2026, the coaching landscape could shift even more dramatically. Some athletic leaders hesitated to make big changes last season due to uncertainties surrounding the House settlement. However, with a clearer picture now, athletic directors are starting to take action. Currently, there are nine coaching vacancies, involving major programs like Penn State, Arkansas, Oklahoma State, and Virginia Tech.

As we prepare for the new season, it’s essential to assess the current coaching climate and identify which coaches might be on unstable ground.

Coaching Carousel Challenges

• Katie Abrahamson Henderson, Georgia

Gary Blair’s retirement in 2022 triggered a wave of coaching changes, although, interestingly, many of these moves haven’t delivered expected results.

Taylor, who earned SEC Coach of the Year honors in 2021 while at Georgia, struggled to find the same success at Texas A&M. He started with a 9-20 record in his first year, improved slightly to 19-13 during March Madness in his second, but then dipped to 10-19 last season. Overall, he’s 11-37 in SEC matchups and couldn’t keep hold of top recruit Jania Barker, who moved to UCLA and is now at Tennessee.

This season, Texas A&M stayed active in the transfer portal, bringing in several players including Fatmata Janet from St. Peter’s and Jordan Webster from Big West. However, they are expected to finish 14th in the SEC according to preseason polls. If this group of mid-major transfers can’t elevate the team’s performance, Taylor might face job insecurity in the upcoming spring.

Despite being one of the sport’s highest-paid coaches, Texas A&M has shown they are willing to cut ties with underperforming coaches, as seen in past instances.

At Georgia, Taylor’s successor, Abrahamson-Henderson, had a promising debut, securing a tournament win against Florida State with a lineup predominantly consisting of seniors. Still, she has had a tough time replacing key players, resulting in a 7-25 SEC record over the last two years.

Abrahamson-Henderson previously turned UCF into a significant force in the American Conference, but moving to the Big 12 under Messer proved challenging. While calling their record a complete disaster may be overstating the situation, the Knights haven’t secured a winning record since Messer’s arrival, having logged a 7-29 record in two seasons. Rumors suggested that UCF considered parting ways with Messer last spring.

Among the trio of coaches discussed, Messer’s future seems most uncertain and would likely be the least costly to part with, although all three could find a reprieve through a successful NCAA Tournament run.

• Carolyn Kiger, Pennsylvania

Kieger is in her seventh year with the Nittany Lions but has yet to make an appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Her only winning season was in 2023-24, where Penn State just barely missed the cut, ending a glaringly tough season marked by only one Big Ten victory.

Moreover, concerns about the mental health of players during her tenure surfaced last season, prompting further scrutiny. The university stood by its coach for now, but continued poor performance will likely complicate her job status going forward.

• Krista Gerlich, Texas Tech University

Texas Tech is known for its investment in athletics, yet Gerlich has faced challenges during her tenure. A graduate and former player for the Red Raiders, she hasn’t made it to the NCAA Tournament or recorded a winning Big 12 record in her five seasons.

Recruitment has seen mixed results; Texas Tech secured four ESPN Top 100 prospects since 2021 but lost two of them almost immediately. Right in their backyard, they missed out on local standout Aaliyah Chavez, who opted for Oklahoma instead. This year, the Red Raiders welcomed various transfers, but whether these roster changes will yield better results remains to be seen.

• Kelly Ray Finley, Florida

In Gainesville, a coach who has a record of 15-33 over three years would typically be on the chopping block. However, the investment in women’s basketball seems to be lacking compared to other sports, suggesting Finley may survive even if the Gators face another subpar season.

Finley’s initial year as interim coach brought some success, including an NCAA Tournament berth, but the following years have not seen the same momentum. The cumulative effect may lead to complications down the line.

• Joanna Barnabay McNamee, Boston University

Members of the Boston University athletic department might need to evaluate their current investment in women’s basketball. Historically, the Eagles have struggled, often missing the NCAA Tournament under McNamee except for rare successful seasons.

During her seven seasons, she has a record of 108 wins and 106 losses, alongside notable player losses to rival programs. Currently, with nine leading scorers missing from last season’s squad, Barnabay-McNamee faces considerable rebuilding challenges while operating under tight budget constraints.

A head coaching change might seem appealing to some, yet without a concurrent increase in funding for the sport, simply swapping coaches wouldn’t necessarily lead to improvement.

Considering a strategic investment in rosters similar to what Virginia did with their football program could yield more promising results than chasing after new coaching talent.

Northwest: Longtime coach Joe McCune announced his retirement at the end of this season, nearing his 18th year leading the Wildcats, with candidate searches already reported.

Rutgers: Kokes Washington holds a 33-64 overall record in three seasons and is 10-44 in Big Ten play.

Wake Forest: Megan Gebbia stands at 33-62 overall in three seasons, with a disappointing 9-45 in ACC contests.

WNBA Opening Day: There are strong connections between Baylor’s Nikki Collen and South Florida’s Jose Fernandez to positions in the WNBA, specifically the Dallas Wings, although both have declined offers in the past.

Are you nearing retirement? Some seasoned coaches, including UW’s Geno Auriemma and others in their late sixties, still show no signs of slowing down. The unpredictability of retirement remains, especially with shifts in college athletics and examples of unexpected departures from other coaching legends.