Terry Nooner, former KU men’s hoops player, thriving as women’s associate head coach

Terry Nooner benefited by being the last person in the Kansas women’s basketball program to climb the ladder and clip the net connected to the south rim of James Naismith Court on Saturday night at Allen Fieldhouse.

Nooner — the same man who was part of five net-snipping ceremonies (three Big 12 tournament titles, two regular-season conference crowns) during his playing days for KU’s men’s team (1996-97 to 1999-2000) — was allowed to keep the remaining strands as a souvenir of the Jayhawks’ 66-59 victory over Columbia in the championship game of the WNIT.

“It was just luck of the draw I ended up being last. This will be up in my office. I’m excited,” Nooner, associate head coach for KU’s women’s basketball team, said, speaking with a Kansas City Star reporter with the net resting on his left shoulder.

Nooner, 45, who has been a full-time member of head coach Brandon Schneider’s KU program the last three seasons, says the Jayhawks defeating Western Kentucky Missouri, Nebraska, Arkansas, Washington and Columbia all at home in WNIT games the last two weeks ranks “right up there” on his favorite-moment list in basketball.

“I feel I was young then,” Nooner said of the days of playing for Roy Williams and winning titles as a player at KU. “We were so good all the time (52-12 in league games; 116-26 overall in four seasons) I probably took it for granted. Cutting down the nets, wearing this (net) is not the norm, so it is special.”

He continued.

“Just seeing how much our young ladies worked, watching them, the resiliency from when we were all sitting there watching and didn’t get selected ...” Nooner added, his voice trailing off.

He was referring to the KU players and coaches watching the NCAA Tournament Selection Show in horror the night of March 12. The Jayhawks barely missed landing a bid to the Big Dance despite going .500 in league games and 19-11 overall.

“You go from that feeling (of sadness) to trying to regroup and bounce back, to playing our best basketball of our year this year, which is when you want to be playing your best basketball,” Nooner stated proudly. “Seeing them come together (to finish the campaign 25-11), playing well as a team, this is all that stuff rolled into one.”

‘Blessing in disguise?’

Nooner, a native of Raytown, Missouri, and high school teammate of NBA coach Tyronn Lue at Raytown High, actually now sees KU missing out on the NCAAs perhaps as “a blessing in disguise.”

“The blessing was just us getting a chance to play these six games at home and people getting a chance to come out and support us, the ladies getting a chance to see what it’s like to play in Allen Fieldhouse when there’s a huge crowd. That’s been amazing for us,” Nooner noted.

KU drew a loud crowd of 11,701 for Saturday’s title game victory over Columbia of the Ivy League.

“We got to play against Missouri (winning 75-47 in second round of WNIT). We got to play the revenge game against Nebraska (64-55 third-round win which avenged a triple-OT loss to NU on Dec. 21 in Lincoln). We played real teams. According to the bracketology people it was us and Columbia as the last two teams that didn’t make it in. That even made today a little more special. They’re good,” Nooner added of the Lions.

Saturday’s title-game victory was led by senior center Taiyanna Jackson, who tied a career-high with 21 rebounds to go with 17 points.

KU coach Schneider said Nooner has played a role in Jackson’s emergence as a first-team all-Big 12 player.

“Obviously what he (Nooner) is doing in Taiyanna Jackson’s development ... I think she is the most improved player in the country and Coach Terry deserves a great deal of credit for that,” Schneider said.

“He is instrumental in our success. He contributes in every phase of our program,” Schneider added, speaking after Saturday’s WNIT title victory.

Nooner’s pupil starred in WNIT

Jackson, a 6-6 senior from East Chicago, Indiana, ruled the boards despite having to head to the locker room for several minutes to get an ankle re-taped after she fell to the floor while chasing a rebound.

“She knows she can bring rebounding and defense to the table every night,” Nooner said of Jackson, who was named MVP of the entire WNIT.

“From people I played with … I was out there with Raef (LaFrentz) and Drew (Gooden) and Nick (Collison), watching Wayne (Simien) and all these different guys,” Nooner added. “Seeing her level of rebounding, I’d say she’s up there with those guys.”

Quick to crack a joke, Nooner visited with Jackson (she wound up playing 35 minutes) when she returned from the taping in the locker room in the third quarter.

“She said (her ankle) was hurt but knew she wasn’t coming out,” Nooner said. “I told her she should have come back in a wheelchair like Paul Pierce (Nooner’s former KU teammate) did in the NBA Finals.”

Pierce left Game 1 of the 2008 NBA Finals between the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers after he went to the floor grabbing his knee. He was taken to the locker room in a wheelchair, only to return a few moments later and help lead Boston to victory.

Nooner can be tough, too

Asked about Nooner’s magnetic personality, coach Schneider said: “Enthusiastic, yes, however he’d be first to tell you don’t ever mistake his kindness for weakness. He has a competitive edge that leads (him) to show the fangs. I think the synergy of our staff is something I greatly appreciate and I think Terry complements me, but I also think we as a staff complement each other.”

Nooner — he has been an assistant coach at Texas, Maryland, Alabama and Southern Illinois and also worked as a player development coach for the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers for a year — says he is not actively looking for his first head coaching job at this time because he likes working at his alma mater so much.

“This is home,” Nooner said. “I mean when the opportunity came (in 2020) I had a bunch of people trying to get me to come from Texas when my coach’s contract didn’t get renewed. Brandon and I (already) had a great relationship. He’s a family person which is important to me.”

Nooner and his wife Tracy have a 10-year-old daughter (Tarynn) 8-year-old son (Terry III) and 4-year-old daughter (Tatum).

“Introducing them (kids) to what the Jayhawk family is and what it means to be a Jayhawk … I don’t think they ever want to leave. They both play basketball,” Nooner said of his two oldest children. “I’m their biggest fan. I don’t try to critique them. They harass me about getting a chance to come into the fieldhouse to practice and shoot. They get to take advantage of stuff most kids don’t get the opportunity to.”

Nooner — he’s served as president of KC Pro-Am Inc., a nonprofit that provides basketball instruction for youths and has also been a personal coach to KC-area youths — is known as not just a good coach but also a stellar recruiter. One of his former pupils, highly-acclaimed S’Mya Nichols of Shawnee Mission West, has signed with KU and will be a freshman next season.

“S’Mya Nichols is one of the top 20-30 players in the country,” Nooner said noting talented players abound in the KC/Lawrence/Topeka area.

At 45, he’s in no hurry to pursue a head coaching job

“I’m not in a rush. I’m at peace where I am,” Nooner said of when and where he might be a head coach in the future. “Right now I just am happy. I take it day-by-day. If something comes up that’s right, I’ll take it. I’m happy being back home.”

His former KU teammates believe he’s found the right spot in Lawrence where he played college ball.

“Terry is just a great hire to anybody’s staff. His knowledge of the game, how he relates to kids and represents a program is top-notch. KU is lucky to have him on staff,” former KU guard and Nooner teammate Nick Bradford said after Nooner was hired by Schneider three years ago. Bradford attended Saturday’s WNIT final, and sat next to Wayne Simien close to KU’s bench.

“I’m so excited for Terry. I know this is his second go-round coaching with the women’s team at KU (he also was an assistant at KU on Bonnie Henrickson’s staff in 2012-13), but there is nothing like being home,” said former KU guard Kenny Gregory, another of Nooner’s KU teammates.

Added Gregory: “So, I know he’s excited for himself and his family. I’m so proud of Terry, he has worked his way up the women’s basketball ranks from the ground up. He started on the AAU circuit and has turned that into coaching stops at the highest level of women’s basketball and NBA.

“Terry is an enthusiastic coach that will do his best to get the most out of the current KU players. I’m looking forward to amazing things from the program in the years to come with coach Nooner being an important piece to making that happen.”