Katrina Merriweather introduced as new Cincinnati women's basketball coach

With the University of Cincinnati band, cheerleaders and Bearcat on hand along with numerous well-wishers and family, Katrina Merriweather was introduced as the 10th-ever women's basketball coach at her alma mater.

With a record of 151-70 as a head coach at both Wright State and Memphis, Merriweather will be UC's first women's coach as they enter the Big 12 with high aspirations.

Merriweather just led Memphis to a 22-11 record and the Sweet 16 of the WNIT. In her first year with the Tigers, she went 16-12 after inheriting a team that won just four games the previous season.

Merriweather spent five seasons as the head coach at Wright State, where she took the Raiders to two NCAA Tournaments and was named Horizon League Coach of the Year three times.

Here are five other things to know about Katrina Merriweather:

1. Katrina Merriweather was familiar to administrators

"It became very clear that she was absolutely the right fit," UC athletic director John Cunningham said. "It was great timing for us going into the Big 12 to have a little bit of a shot in the arm. That's what she's been able to provide both from the recruiting standpoint and from the community engagement standpoint."

Cunningham did some homework on Merriweather once her name was brought up and was aided in the search by Maggie McKinley, Deputy Athletic Director and Senior Woman Administrator, who was around when Merriweather began in coaching with the Bearcats over 20 years ago.

"She had a great game plan for what she was trying to accomplish and how she would build it and the steps she would take," Cunningham said. "Her fit was natural."

2. Katrina Merriweather's grandfather was a teammate of Oscar Robertson at Crispus Attucks High School

When asked to name her favorite Bearcats, she rattled off a list of former UC women's greats. But before starting the list, she said, "You have to start with the Big O!"

Oscar Robertson was her grandfather's teammate at Crispus Attucks High School. Willie Merriweather was second on the team in scoring behind the future Naismith Hall of Famer at 18.3 points per game. Willie Merriweather went on to Purdue and is in the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame.

Katrina Merriweather also mentioned Madinah Slaise, K.B. Sharp, Cheryl Cook, Val King, Doris Scott, and Bev Obringer. She then circled back to the men's game and added Kenyon Martin and Danny Fortson who played during her time.

"There's so many athletes that have come through here that have made humongous impacts," Merriweather said. "This has been a hotbed for really talented athletes for a very, very long time.

3. Before accepting the job, Katrina Merriweather called former coach Laurie Pirtle

Merriweather played four seasons and was a grad assistant under UC Hall of Famer Laurie Pirtle. Pirtle is the all-time wins leader at UC with 310 and is also in the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame.

"During that conversation, I could feel her thinking it through and going with the idea that it would be really good to come back home," Pirtle said. "I walked away from the conversation going, 'Whatever you do, we'd love to have u here.'"

Pirtle compares her former players to children and is overjoyed to see their successes.

"It was super easy to know when was going to coach someday," Pirtle said. "It was what she did in the locker room, what she did on the floor, how she pulled people together and what she did when I wasn't looking. Her leadership allowed us to do what we needed to do as a team."

4. Katrina Merriweather has been a winner at UC and against UC

With the Bearcats, Merriweather made 27 career starts, including 22 in her senior season, and played in 107 games. She helped lead the program to an 83-41 record in her four seasons. UC made NCAA appearances in 1999 with Merriweather as a player and in 2002 when she was a grad assistant.

As a coach at Memphis the last two seasons, she won three of four including a season sweep this past season.

5. Katrina Merriweather wants players who want to be Bearcats

"We've always talked about a 300-mile radius," Cunningham said. "It's such an important area for us to recruit. Obviously, with her roots in Indianapolis and the fact that she played here, she's been recruiting this area her whole career."

Previous coach Michelle Clark-Heard was also a mentor to Merriweather and she also was an assistant here before becoming head coach. Merriweather is the first former Bearcat player to lead her old team.

"I had season tickets when I was a head coach at Wright State," Merriweather said. "Once a Bearcat, always a Bearcat. We want people who want to be Bearcats. We want them to want this experience. We want them to wear Cincinnati across their chest. We want people to be here that enjoy the environment we created, the culture we create. John has done a tremendous job at making sure athletics is continuing to grow."

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Five things to know about UC's women's basketball coach Merriweather