KU assistant Terry Nooner hired as the new Wichita State women’s basketball head coach

Kansas Jayhawks associate head coach Terry Nooner has been named the new head coach of the Wichita State women’s basketball team, athletic director Kevin Saal announced in a news release Monday afternoon.

Nooner, a former KU men’s basketball player who has more than a decade of Division I coaching experience in the women’s game, will be publicly introduced at Koch Arena at 3:30 p.m. Thursday. The event is free and open to the public, while streaming will be available on ESPN+.

Nooner is the 10th head coach in program history, the first Black head coach in program history and just the third male head coach in program history.

“To say this is a dream come true is an understatement,” Nooner said in a statement. “As someone who played in Kansas, met my wife here and have raised my children here, I couldn’t be happier to land my first head coaching position in the state I love so much. My family and I are incredibly excited to join Shocker Nation and make Wichita our home for years to come. I can’t thank Kevin Saal and Dr. Muma enough for their belief and support, and I’m ready to build something special with our women’s basketball program.”

The hire was made less than a week after former WSU head coach Keitha Adams, who had just completed her sixth season in Wichita, bolted to leave for her former job at UTEP, where she is the all-time winningest coach in program history.

Nooner has spent the last three seasons on the sidelines in Lawrence under head coach Brandon Schneider, the 2022 Big 12 Coach of the Year. The Jayhawks registered their first 20-win since in a decade, appeared in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2000 and most recently won the 2023 WNIT championship during Nooner’s tenure.

The 45-year-old will look to bring a spark to a program that has gone nearly a decade since its dominant run in the Missouri Valley Conference that resulted in three straight conference championships and NCAA Tournament appearances from 2013-15. Since joining the American Athletic Conference, the program has struggled to consistently compete at the top. In six seasons in the AAC, the Shockers have finished with a 34-57 record (.374 winning percentage) against conference foes in the regular season.

“I’m extremely grateful for the investment and contribution that Terry has made to the growth and progress of our program,” Schneider said in a press release. “Nobody is more deserving of this opportunity, and we wish Terry, Tracy and their three children the best in this new endeavor.”

Nooner has also spent time as an assistant coach at Southern Illinois (2011-12), KU (2012-13), Alabama (2013-15), Maryland (2015-18) and Texas (2019-20), while earning a strong reputation on the recruiting trail at all of those stops. He also spent one year in the NBA as the player development coach for the Cleveland Cavaliers for the 2018-19 season.

The Raytown, Mo. native was a former guard and team captain on the KU men’s basketball team from 1997-2000. He helped the Jayhawks to a Sweet Sixteen, four NCAA tournament appearances and three Big 12 championships.

Before becoming a college coach, Nooner coached high school and AAU basketball for seven years in the Kansas City area.

“Terry Nooner is a highly respected leader with a proven track record of success,” Saal said in a release. “As a result of his impressive journey, Terry is incredibly well-connected within our region and nationally. We are excited to welcome Terry, his wife Tracy and the Nooner family into the Shocker family.”

WSU is coming off an up-and-down 18-15 season, where it ripped off the best start in program history (against one of the weakest strength of schedules in the country), finished 6-10 in AAC play, then became the first team to knock off the No. 1 seed in the AAC tournament while also advancing to its first AAC tournament semifinals. That helped the Shockers secure a WNIT bid, which ended up resulting in a 90-56 loss at Kansas State.

Starters Trajata Colbert and Curtessia Dean have exhausted their eligibility, while it is unclear the current status of players such as senior forward Jane Asinde (13.1 points, 9.8 rebounds) and senior guard D.J. McCarty (10.5 points, 3.5 assists). Both players are currently listed on the official roster on GoShockers.com for the 2023-24 season.