Much public dialogue was created recently when former ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ women’s basketball coach Adia Barnes being hired at top jobs.
Becky Burke, new coach of ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ women’s basketball, takes reporters’ questions after a news conference at McKale Center on April 11, 2025.
But if you research the Big 12’s women’s head coaching jobs, they are dominated by former mid-major head coaches. Ten so-called “mid-major†coaches from Buffalo, Grand Canyon, UT-Arlington, Sacramento State, UM-Kansas City, Stephen F. Austin, Toledo, Memphis, Wright State and Santa Clara jumped from those jobs to current Big 12 head coaching roles.
Of the remaining six, just one came from a Power 4 school (TCU), two were long-time assistants promoted from within, one came out of a five-year retirement, one came from the WNBA and one from the staff at LSU.
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Mid-majors produced star-level ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ coaches such as Larry Smith (Tulane), Dick Tomey (Hawaii), Jay Johnson (Nevada), Clancy Shields (Utah State), Dave Rubio (Cal-Bakersfield), Joan Bonvicini (Long Beach State), Frank Busch (Cincinnati) and Tony Amato (Stephen F. Austin).
Could Becky Burke of the Buffalo Bisons be next?
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ women's hoops upgrades coaching staff | Greg Hansen
