We officially opened the first Power 4 opening of the 2025 coaching carousel season in women's college basketball.
Robin Pington after 15 seasons at the helm of Missouri Announced on Wednesday That she has resigned at the end of this campaign. Her tiger was tied to the final spot at this year's Southeast Conference, with a 2-12 mark and an overall record of 13-16 in SEC play.
Pingeton leaves Mizzou with an overall record of 249-216. Her best stretches, leading the program, coincided with Sophie Cunningham's presence, who appeared on Sophie Cunningham's roster from 2015 to 2019. In that four seasons of stretch, the Tigers ranked 11th in the AP Top 25 polls, creating four consecutive NCAA tournaments and winning 39 games in the SEC. Pingeton never took his team to the mad weekend in March and was not led again to the tournament berth without the 2016 SEC Freshman of the Year and the three All-SEC first team selection, Cunningham. WNBA.
Missouri has a record of losing in four of the last six seasons. The Tigers' record declined, so Pingeton was unable to maintain a successful standout player elsewhere, like Aija Blackwell, Ladazia Williams and Mama Dembele.
Still, Pingeton leaves Missouri as the second-highest winning coach of all time. Perhaps one of her most memorable victories came in 2021 when the Tigers placed South Carolina in first place.
“After a lot of reflection, I have decided it's time for a new voice to lead Mizou women's basketball,” Pingeton said in a statement. “This is a decision I reached after I started my conversation with Laird Veatch. I am extremely grateful for his leadership and support throughout this process. I love Columbia, Mizzo and the amazing community that has supported this program over the years with my family. This is the end of this chapter. I look forward to what I will be next.”
The SEC may be the toughest meeting in college basketball. It boasts the team that won the final three national titles in South Carolina. LSU – Dawn Staley and Kim Mulkey are the best two ever coaches. Another team at Texas looks like a candidate for Vic Schaefer. Meanwhile, Tennessee is experiencing a first year renaissance under Kim Caldwell. Kentucky is once again competitive after hiring Kenny Brooks. Olemis It is ranked in the top 25 AP polls this season. Mississippi also keeps eye on their third consecutive 20-win season under Sam Purcell.
Several agents and fellow coaches were hoping Missouri would open this offseason, but his job with the SEC and ratings for Missouri's location are mixed.
“They want to be good, but they don't seem willing to spend a lot of money,” the longtime assistant coach told SB Nation.
Women's college's motivation to money and invest in basketball has helped separate what they have and don't have at conferences like the SEC for several years, but the gap that looms at home settlements can be even more noticeable. Georgia, for example, gives the third largest portion of revenue sharing. Approximately $900,000, According to the Athens Banner Herald – To women's basketball.
But one agent said it would make Missouri “happy” to be in the middle of the pack of meetings and “somewhat regularly” to create NCAA tournaments. If Missouri is doing the right job, it's a clear bar.
Here's who's in the mix to lead the Tigers:
Molly Miller
Miller is almost guaranteed to receive a call about this job. The 38-year-old Missouri native is considered one of the rising stars in the coaching circle and began coaching at Division II Drury, his alma mater, about three hours southwest of Columbia. As Drury's head coach, Miller made the Panthers appear in 2019's 180-17 record and Division II Final 4. She also jumped to Division I and was successful, finishing with a 110-37 overall record at WAC's Grand Canyon. Kentucky temporarily kicked the tires in the mirror last season before hiring Brooks, but she could end up in the SEC.
Kristen Gillespie
She came from Illinois when Missouri last hired a women's basketball coach. It may not be a bad idea to see the same place the Tigers drew Pingeton as Gillespie has accumulated a lot of victory while leading the Redbirds. Gillespie, who played for Kay Yo in North Carolina, went 149-92 in eight Illinois seasons. In 2022, she led them to her first NCAA tournament in 14 years, winning the 2023 regular season conference title and the Missouri Valley Coach of the Year Award.
Kelly Harper
Harper didn't meet his expectations in Tennessee, but take this into consideration. She knows the nation, she knows the SEC, and she won both. Four Stops as Head Coach – Western Carolina, North Carolina, Missouri and Tennessee – Harper is on the sidelines for 60.2 wins, nine NCAA tournament appearances and five conference championships in five seasons. She took Missouri to Sweet 16 and helped turn it into a mid-way powerhouse, leading the Vols twice to the madness of March second weekend. On this holiday, Harper remained connected to the game by working on the SEC network. Harper faced great pressure to win with his previous two power four stops. In North Carolina, he had to chase after Kay Yoh and coach in Tennessee in the shadow of Pat Summit. In Missouri, filling Pingeton shoes will be much easier.
