Rising Coaches and Roster Changes Ahead of 2025-26 Season
Last spring, five head coaches began their first seasons leading teams that had roots in the NCAA Tournament. Jan Jensen helped Iowa progress to the second round after stepping in from the Resubmitter. Meanwhile, after Carl Smesco left to coach the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream, Chelsea Lyles kept things lively along the Gulf Coast of Florida. Gavin Petersen took over Utah in November and quickly got his team engaged in March Madness. Kayla Karius led Green Bay through a successful debut season, and Kim Caldwell redefined Tennessee’s approach, pushing them all the way to the Sweet 16.
In today’s college sports landscape, it’s somewhat easier for coaches to put their mark on a team. The transfer portal makes it simple to find players who fit their vision instantly.
As we gear up for the 2025-26 season, a few coaches are already setting the stage for success in their first campaigns. One that stands out is Lee Cummard from BYU, who brings in Delaney Gibb’s Big 12 rookie alongside three-point specialist Kailey Woolston, returning just a year after her LDS mission trip.
Larry Vickers has utilized the transfer portal effectively to create an impressive first-year roster at Auburn. Coaches like Winston Gandy and Raina Harmon are keen to take charge at mid-major squads, Grand Canyon and FGCU respectively.
Yet, among the new faces in coaching for the upcoming season, Molly Miller at Arizona seems to have assembled a particularly formidable roster.
Miller’s credentials are solid. Over five seasons at Grand Canyon, she boasted a 117-38 record, a winning percentage of 75.5%. Prior to that, she achieved an incredible 91% over six seasons with Division II Drury, leading them to the Final Four in 2019.
This success made her a hot name in coaching circles last spring, attracting attention from several Power 4 programs, including a few in the SEC.
Now at Arizona, she led the team to 10 wins last season. Notably, she overhauled the roster, retaining only one starting player and three others from the previous season. That returning player, Jyah Lovett, is a guard with a solid 36.7% shooting rate from three-point range.
The revamped roster also includes Deborah Davenport, who started all 34 games for Florida State’s Northwest State last season, and McKinna Brackens, who averaged 9.8 points and 5.7 rebounds at UNLV. Jordan Jones adds even more firepower after averaging 19.8 points per game, setting a single-season scoring record for Denver. She also ranked fifth nationally in free throws made last season.
Additionally, Acacia Hayes has consistently scored well over the past three seasons with Western Kentucky. There are experienced players on the roster too, like Gabby Elliott, who has had stints at Clemson, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. Marley Washenitz comes to Arizona after starting 78 games at Pitt over the past three years and has significantly improved her three-point shooting, going from 12.8% as a sophomore to 35% as a junior.
Heloisa Carrera from Ole Miss joins the team, alongside a talented group of LSU veterans. While she might not have flashy stats from her time at LSU, where she won a National Championship, she offers valuable experience and versatility, having played in 102 games and started 27.
Keep an eye on freshman Amaya Williams, who shone as captain at California Powerhouse Matter Day; she could make a mark as a rookie.
Returning players like Jyah Lovett are likely to bolster Arizona’s efforts. Last season, Lovett averaged 8.9 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game, with shooting percentages of 41.3% from the floor and 35.2% from beyond the arc.
The four players on Arizona’s roster—Lovett, Moore, Elliott, and Washenitz—each had over 35% shooting from three-point range last year. Miller’s Grand Canyon teams excelled with a collective 36.8% from three, ranking 13th nationwide.
With this roster, Miller is poised to help Arizona compete effectively in the Big 12. Even though the Sun Devils haven’t participated in an NCAA tournament since 2019, there’s a sense this team could finally break that streak.
